A Perilous Place
by Irelia Reborn
Summary: Allena woke up to find herself riding in a carriage to her death. She was a little surprised by the fact she appeared to be in a fictional universe, and her two best friends were unconscious beside her. It was even more surprising to find out one of them was the Dragonborn. Inevitably, she rapidly found herself thrust into a world of trouble.
1. Introduction

1. Introduction

A long groan reached my ears as I slowly returned to consciousness. Funny, as I didn't remember falling asleep. As I slowly tried to open my eyes, it occurred to me that I was _really_sore, and my head was pounding. Warning bells started going off in my head; there was no reason for me to wake up from a sleep I couldn't remember entering, feeling like I fought a troll. Renewed confusion and apprehension in me, I forced my eyes wide open, waiting a few seconds for the world to get into focus.

To my utter bewilderment, I came to realize I wasn't completely stationary. In fact, I seemed to be in some sort of moving vehicle of sorts. The next thing I realized was I couldn't move my hands. They were apparently bound together- Wait, they were what?!

PANIC MODE INITIATED. A string of confused curses loudly left my mouth as I sat up and whipped my head around, taking in my surroundings.

House drawn carriage.

Other bound people surrounding me.

To my left, two of my best friends also appeared to be stirring into consciousness, in the very same predicament.

Across from me, Three men, two of which seemed to ring a bell of recognition in my mind, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Hey, you! You're finally awake." One of the men I seemed to recognize said to me. He was stocky, well built, had blonde hair hanging around his face, and admittedly wasn't terrible looking. He glanced to my left and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, and your friends are coming around too.."

I should explain that while I was completely flabbergasted by my own position in this bizarre situation, I was even more befuddled by the fact that my two close friends, Ian and Drake, had found themselves in the same. Drake seemed to be slowly struggling to sit up straight and get his eyes open. As I opened my mouth to say something to get his attention though, the blonde man started talking again.

"You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked into that Imperial ambush, same as us and that thief over there."

For some reason, nostalgia was stirring within me, as though I had heard these words before… which was completely ridiculous, as I had no recollection of ever riding, hands bound, in house drawn carriages with strange men and unconscious friends. However, these words seemed to call some sort of attention in Drake, as he immediately stopped struggling, and snapped upwards, a slow look of horror making its way onto his face, I observed in my peripheral. Before I could send a confused reply to the blonde man, the "thief" he had indicated before spoke back, a scowl on his face.

"Damn you, Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. You there-" At this point, I realized he was addressing me. "You and me - we don't belong here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

The blonde haired man became immediately preoccupied with the "thief" person, so I was left to whip my head to my side, mind reeling, watching as Ian slowly sat up as well, a pale look of terror on his face, apparently having heard them speak. Drake looked just as horrified, a slow hissing moaning sound escaping his lips. They both turned towards me, and I was sure my expression mirrored theirs. The mention of Stormcloaks made me figure out why I recognized the two characters sitting across from us; I could even go as far as naming them. Ulfric Stormcloak and Ralof. And also… that thief guy whose name never mattered to me.

Apparently, none of the three of us knew what to say, so instead we just kept exchanging silent looks.

I noticed that both of them seemed… different somehow. We all appeared to be covered in dirt, yes, but they both seemed rather taller and bulkier, Drake in particular. Beyond that, just the very aura around them… something was different. It seemed they thought the same thing with me, as whenever I made eye contact with them, they seemed really alarmed.

I didn't realize something was off with myself though until Drake mumbled to me, "Jesus, Allena, is that really you?"

The men across from us didn't seem to take notice of our conversing.

I wrinkled my face in confusion, "Uhm, yes? How would it not be me, Drake?" Ian looked gravely at me, before switching his gaze to Drake, and back.

"Well... for starters… your ears…" As his voice drifted off, my hands immediately shot to my ears. I was unpleasantly surprised to find them pointy and long. I took another long look at both Ian and Drake before I pieced it together.

"Skyrim... I picked my race to be wood elf…" I mumbled, eyes widening. They both looked rather uneasy.

"Drake... you were a Nord, right…? I can tell, your hair's lighter… and Ian, I watched you play, I know you were a Breton…" They both nodded, fear in all of our eyes. I fell silent. Ian was the one that voiced what was on all of our minds.

"What the bloody hell is going on…"I silently agreed with his words. I was utterly confused, and while my first conclusion would usually be I was dreaming or completely batshit insane, I highly doubted my brain was imaginative enough to come up with everything so realistically, as well as nail Ulfric and Ralof's appearances so well.

Maybe my dreams just went HD?

I stayed silent, but Drake spoke up.

"I have no idea what's going on, but I can tell you it isn't good. All being Skyrim veterans, I think we all know how the game starts off…" he muttered grimly.

We all fell silent at that point, lost in our own troubled thoughts. I'll give you a preview of mine.

_'HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT WHAT THE MIGHTY FUCK IS GOING ON, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A VIDEO GAME. VIDEO GAME. HOW IS THIS HAPPENING, WE'RE GOING TO DIE, OH MY GOD, AND THAT'S ULFRIC STORMCLOAK AND OH GOD OH GOD THIS IS SO WEIRD AND BIZARRE MY HEAD'S ABOUT TO BE CHOPPED OFF AND THERE'S A DRAGON COMING AND OH DEAR LORD WHAT IS GOING ON'_

Yeah, something like that. To my utter horror, we slowed to a stop, a soldier yelling gruffly, "General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!" I glanced anxiously at my best friends, biting at my lip. This was not the sort of situation I'd pick for them to be in. I wasn't big on friends being in life threatening situations. I mean, if I had to pick any two people to count on, it'd be them. Ian had been my closest friend and confident for years now. He was like my brother. Drake had been a close friend of mine too, and no one could make me smile quite like he could. I had known him for longer than Ian, thought our friendship was put off for a few years, as neither of us took interest in getting to know each other for a length of time. Know though, he was who I spent most of my free time around.

While we spent a lot of time together, I didn't think heading to the chopping block with FUCKING ALDUIN due to arrive any minute was considered good quality time.

I could feel myself panicking, this situation seeming far too real for the fact that it SHOULDN'T EVER BE REAL.

The carriage slowly rolled to a stop and we were filed out of the cart, the thief still freaking out. I was ready to freak out right with him, but somehow, screaming my innocence and running around didn't strike me as the right thing to do at this point in time. What brought me back to attention was an important looking Imperial soldier shouting out an order to us. "Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time." I blanched.

"Empire loves their damn lists…" A voice muttered beside me. I glanced at Ralof. In any other situation, I think he and I could get along real well. For now though, I was a little worried about my imminent death. If not by chopping block, then by giant ancient dragon with fire and stuff.

I turned behind me to see Ian and Drake obediently waiting silently. All of us knew there wasn't much else we could do except hope to the gods we were dreaming and wouldn't actually die in some sort of alternate fictional universe.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm" the soldier called out. Ulfric silently stepped forward as his name was called, head still held high with pride. Ralof muttered beside me again, "It's been an honour, Jarl Ulfric."

"Ralof of Riverwood" the soldier called next. Ralof exchanged some sort of unreadable look at me before he proudly walked past, going to stand beside his Jarl. I immediately found myself troubled by this. I wasn't in the mood for watching people die. Drake and Ian immediately both stood forward, one on either side of me. I glanced at both of them, petrified beyond belief. There was nothing I could do to control the situation, and that bothered me. A lot.

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

Well, we all know what happens next. The thief, who was apparently named Lokir, screams he was innocent and starts running. Next thing I knew, he had an arrow lodged in his back, and lay dead in the streets. I didn't know him. Wasn't at all fond of him. And yet, I couldn't help but audibly gasp, and bring my hands to my mouth, somehow managing to experience even more terror at witnessing my first death. I heard similar uncomfortably shifting and noises of distress come from either side of me.

"Wait, you there, step forward.." The soldier called next, eyes locking with Drake. I immediately froze, while Drake kept his head about him enough to take a few steps forward, not even looking at me or Ian.

"Who... are you?" the soldier asked, frowning as he glanced at his list.

Drake was a tall, well-built Nord (apparently), with light sandy hair and blue eyes to go with his fair skin… though, far fairer than before. He was one of the people who mattered most to me in the world, and had interests like video games, hockey, rugby, and science class; all interests he shared with me. He had a tough exterior, and was snarky and sarcastic, and nearly appeared uncaring to most, but deep down, cared deeply about those close to him, as I learned the times he truly was there for me. He was a good friend, and a fierce rugby captain, I should add. And as he was faced with this perilous situation, with an Imperial asking his name, preparing to send him to the chopping block, where he'd either get beheaded or attacked by a dragon, I was overwhelmed by both the sudden want to burst into hysterical distressed tears, or run to him and shield him from the world at all costs.

Neither of which I did.

Of course, all he said was "My name is Drake" and an exchange occurred between the soldier and captain, in which it was decided that, predictably, Drake should probably be slaughtered even though they didn't know who he was.

I apprehensively watched the sky, vaguely noticing I was shaking like a leaf.

"Wait… you two… Who are you both, as well? Neither of them are on the list either, captain!"

I could tell them who Ian was too. He was extremely tall, even for a Breton, standing at about 6'10, with dark hair, and equally dark eyes, contrasting with his pale skin. He was lean, though not as lanky as I remembered him being pre-waking up in video game world. He had little interest in sports and going outside, preferring the world of video games and fantasy books. He was witty, hilarious, and would keep a secret with his life. I had known him for years, and he was like my brother. The expression he wore, with humongous dread in his eyes just added to my distress, and I was surprised I wasn't hyperventilating at this point.

And then there was me, Allena. Long dark brown hair and light brown eyes, usually worn loose to my mid back, bangs getting a little too long and making a habit of getting into my eyes. Apparently had elf ears, and upon glancing down at my arms, had much darker skin than before. I looked like I had a really great tan was all though, in comparison to my stark paleness before. Mostly, I just liked sleeping and staying out of trouble, and somehow, I managed to get myself in such a situation. Yeesh.

I stepped forward and joined the line of those condemned to die after giving my name with a shaky voice, still with little clue of how to get the hell out of here in the next 30 seconds.

There was an ominous sound in the distance.

A priestess started going on about eight divines, bless us, yadda yadda. I wasn't really listening. I did pay attention, however, when a Stormcloak soldier interrupted her and urged them to get on with his death, acting as casual as anyone as they placed his head on the block.

Just as I registered I was about to witness a horrifically gruesome sight, they cleanly chopped his head off.

Needless to say, my stomach churned and I had to turn away, gagging. There was blood _everywhere_. Now, I wasn't the sort of girl to squirm at gore, but watching live beheadings was a little much. The soldier's lifeless body collapsed, and they quickly glanced into the line of prisoners for the next victim.

"Next, the Bosmer!"

There was another ominous sound in the distance. Something that made me think of burning villages and flying beasts that could breathe fire.

I hesitantly stepped forward, not daring to look at Drake and Ian. Cold sweat was on my neck and back, and I felt fear like I had never known as I came into contact with the Stormcloak's lifeless body, still at the block as I was forced to kneel over it.

"Just my fucking luck…" I muttered, shutting my eyes as I got ready to breathe my last breath.

Of course, it didn't come, but instead I got the _pleasure_of hearing shouts of "DRAGON! KILL THAT THING, BY THE GODS."

A mighty noise the reverberated in my whole body knocked me back from the block by sheer force of it, sending shudders through my body, a quiver in the earth, and causing everything to black out for a second while my head spun.

xxx

Annnnd, this is the start to a new story! I was surprised to find I haven't read any shameless cross-world Skyrim fics, so I took it upon myself to create one. Here it is!

I'm going to start it off as an adventure, and yes, it will follow the main quest line, as well as some of the others (Companions, etc). However, there will be some romance later, yay. Pairings undecided, so as this story progresses, if you have any input you want to share on such, please do so! I'm open to ideas, and would like to know what the public wants to see, so... yeah!

I was a little apprehensive about this… adding more characters than just the Dragonborn, that is. Hopefully it goes over well and you all aren't overly disgusted. Anywho, this was just the prologue, hopefully you'll stick around for more! Any feedback is greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading!

(Also, please excuse any typos or mistakes, it's 2am, and I'm a little tired. I'll spellcheck it later, promise!)

-Irelia


	2. The Escape

**2. The Escape**

"ALLENA! ALLENA, COME ON, WE HAVE TO MOVE!" Drake's familiar voice roared out. I moaned, trying to make the world come into focus, panic tugging at me again. Finally, as Ralof grabbed my arm, the world stopped being a mess of blurs.

"Hey, Bosmer, get up! Come on, the Gods won't give us another chance!" He yelled out, already giving me a tug and running. My flight or fight instinct took over, and of course, I took flight. Ralof kept yelling back over his shoulder at me, Drake and Ian close behind. Terror was everywhere; townspeople were screaming and panicking, soldiers were yelling commands and trying vainly to shoot at the dragon with arrows. Everything was burning, and I could already feel the temperature rising in the air that was thick with fear. Biting my lip and concentrating on my own need to survive, I ran forward with renewed gusto, Ralof leading us into a building, shutting the door behind us. Jarl Ulfric was with us, along with a few of the other prisoners.

An exchange went on among the others while I looked at Ian and Drake. Ian was stark white and likely shaking as much as I was when on the verge of being decapitated. Drake, however, while pale, had a look of determination. He was going to make it through this.

Ralof made way for the stairs, yelling as he did, everyone moving. "We need to move, now! Up through the tower!" The three of us sprinted up the stairs with him, pausing only as a wall crumbled, and Alduin stuck his great black head through the hole, breathing fire into the building. I yelped, stumbling back into Drake in surprise and terror. He grabbed onto my shoulder, his grip tight and tense. The dragon took another second before leaving and flying off, leaving my eyes wide and heart pounding. As the Dragon left, there was a large gap in the building left, leaving a window of opportunity to leap into the inn next door.

"Jump through the roof and keep going!" Ralof commanded, indicating they'd follow afterwards. Drake, ever the opportunist, swiftly got a running start and fearlessly jumped, landing skillfully on his feet. I let out a cry of surprise, recoiling from the window. Drake had made it, but I had neither his athletic ability, nor courage. Ralof urged me forward, as did Ian. Drake called out from the other side.

"Allena, just jump, you'll make it, I promise! We don't have time for this!" He said, trying to keep his voice calm. Swallowing hard, I too ran and jumped, barely making it inside, and landing on my knees. I yelped again as I made impact, but was glad to find I was unhurt. Drake quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, gently keeping his hands on my back, pushing me onwards towards a group of people.

"Everyone get back!" the soldier who had been reading our names from the list commanded, backpedalling away from some wreckage. He ordered a man and small boy to head for safety before looking at me and Drake, Ian and the others apparently lagging behind in the confusion and wreckage everywhere. I cast a wary look over my shoulder, trying to find him and Ralof among the fire. Drake gave a sharp tug on my wrist, which he then held onto like it was his lifeline, giving me a pained look.

"Listen, Allena, I'm worried for them too, but we have to keep moving if we want to keep ourselves alive. Let's just have faith they can keep themselves safe, remembering that Ralof is supposed to make it out of this alive" He added the last part under his breath so that the soldier couldn't hear. I gave him one stiff nod, and we turned back to the soldier, who Drake identified to me as "Hadvar" under his breath.

"Still alive, prisoners? Follow me if you want to stay that way." He said solemnly. I was pleased that he seemed to not want us dead. He swiftly turned and moved at a run towards another building. We sandwiched through a path that was between a tall wall and the building.

"Stay close to the wall!" he yelled back at us. Just after the words left his mouth, a mighty roar came from the skies, heading towards us as Alduin himself landed on the wall, his sharp wings just missing our bodies, which were pressed against the wall. I bit my lips to refrain from screaming bloody murder, knowing that drawing attention to us wasn't the answer here. Drake's grip on my arm multiplied in strength, effectively cutting off blood flow to my hand. The dragon caused a little more destruction directly in front of him for a little before taking back off, Hadvar breathing a sigh of relief. Drake's grip did not lessen. I soundlessly peeled his fingers back with much difficulty, him not even noticing until I had fully removed his hand and was circling my wrist around, trying to regain some feeling in it. He shot me a short apologetic glance before Hadvar led us onwards, towards the doors to Helgen Keep. Pleasantly enough, we ran into Ralof and Ian there. The three of us quickly recollected, exchanging looks of relief As Hadvar and Ralof exchanged harsh words. There was suddenly great commotion as Alduin flew overhead, blowing fire as he went. Ralof and Hadvar both split up, running for different entrances to the keep, both yelling for us to come follow them.

With all the smoke blowing, and destruction around, there was immediately some miscommunication as I bolted for Ralof. Hadvar had been nice enough leading us here, but I was a little bitter about nearly being beheaded, honestly. Ralof had been nothing but helpful so far though, so I figured Ian and Drake would be right behind me. I was in for a nasty shock when I turned around as Ralof ushered me into the keep to find I had come alone. Before I could even call out, he shut the door behind us, and I found myself alone with him, separated from Ian and Drake.

This day just kept getting better and better.

Xxx

Drake and Ian had just gotten through the door in a similar situation, finding themselves face to face with Hadvar.

"Shit, Allena..! We gotta go back and get her!" Drake's scared voice reverberated in the room they had entered. Hadvar shook his head.

"Sorry lads, but we're not going back out there. Maybe the girl and Ralof found a different way, but it looks like we're the only ones who made it. Was that really a dragon? The bringers of the End times? We should keep moving…" He glanced at Drake and Ian, both of them still with their hands bound.

"Oh, come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off." He fumbled with a dagger he had hidden under his armor for a minute before finally freeing them both.

"There you go. Take a look around, there should be plenty of gear to choose from. I'm going to see if I can find something for these burns." Ian and Drake exchanged a look before heading for a chest in the room, opening it to find a few sets of extra imperial light armor, along with some simple boots and gauntlets. Not wasting any time, they threw the newfound outfits over the ragged leggings and tunics they had awoken in before crossing over to a weapon rack, both of them finding standard Imperial swords. Hadvar nodded at them and urged them on.

"We'll find a way out, so stick with me. Let's go."

Xxx

I bit my lip, looking thoughtfully at the door Ralof had just closed behind us, contemplating going back for Drake and Ian. However, what Drake had said earlier was right; I had to have faith in their ability to survive. I knew Hadvar made it out in the end, so hopefully they would too, assuming they were with him. So, I turned around and watched Ralof approach a dead Stormcloak soldier, muttering something to him before turning back towards me.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon, no doubt. Just like the children stories and legends…" He looked at me thoughtfully for a second, while I silently focused on my breathing. We were temporarily safe, and with that thought in mind, I tried to calm my speeding heart. I knew there'd be Imperials attacking us as we made our way through the keep.

"Come here, Bosmer" he said a little softer. "Let's get those bindings off you." I willingly walked towards him as he took a dagger off the dead Stormcloak, and carefully slipped it through my hands, finally separating my bindings. I rubbed my wrists, quietly thanking him. For the record, running for your life was hard. It was even harder without use of your hands.

"I have a name, you know. Allena." I said to him, meeting his eye. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, Allena. Let's see if we can get out of here before that dragon brings the whole place down, eh? Also… take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore…" he said, glancing at the dead soldier. I felt sick at the thought of having to take the very clothes off of a dead body, but, well… welcome to Skyrim.

Sensing my distaste, Ralof sighed and helped me get the cuirass over the man's head, as well as take his boots and… Iron axe?

"Give that a few swings, lass, see if you can figure out how it works." He said, already examining the gates that were in the room we were in. I left him to that while I slid on the dead soldier's armor. It wasn't heavy, and I gave the axe a tentative swing; I knew immediately this wasn't suited to me and resolved to pick up a new weapon at first chance. The first gate was locked; and the second gate could only be opened from the other side. As luck would have it, however, as Ralof reached this conclusion, we could both hear Imperial soldiers approaching from the other side.

Ralof smirked as they opened the gate to attack us, having been recognized as the escaped prisoners. I readied the axe, tension bubbling in my stomach. The one in captain's garb rushed for Ralof while the other soldier ran towards me, sword in hand. I let out a yell of surprise as he swung mercilessly at me, while I barely blocked it with the head of the axe. Grunting, I pushed him backwards, before swinging viciously forward, catching him off guard and slashing him across the stomach. He grabbed his gut, stumbling to the ground, and Ralof quickly swung around, running him through with his sword, effectively killing him before finishing off the Imperial captain. My head was pounding and I dropped the axe; definitely not a weapon I liked. Instead, I quickly patted down both the soldiers, arming myself with an Imperial sword and simple dagger. Ralof looked at me approvingly, with a bit of sympathy.

"First fight, Allena? You look like a frightened deer. You did well though. Let's keep moving." He said gruffly, with an awkward pat on my back. My knees nearly buckled under the brute force he put into it. Oh, and I was also shaking still. He pulled a key out of the pocket of one of the soldiers before using it to unlock the first gate.

We kept moving further, two more small groups of Imperials confronting us as we moved along before the ground shook and we both lost our footing slightly, as the path we had just come from collapsed behind us, probably a result of something Alduin did.

He grabbed my elbow to steady me, both of us glancing uneasily at the fallen rubble.

"Lords almighty, that was fucking close." I croaked out, surprising Ralof. He looked at me a second before giving a few short laughs, releasing my arm.

"You know, Bosmer, I think I like you. Might as well keep moving."

We went through another door, and predictably, there were two more Imperials. By now, I was a little more used to, well, slaying innocent people, so my stomach didn't churn as much and the urge to burst into tears wasn't as strong every time. I still tended to let Ralof do most of the work though. We looked around, and I recognized the place as the storeroom where some potions and alchemy ingredients were stored. Ralof urged me to go around and collect supplies. The Stormcloak uniform I was wearing had many pockets and even a bag, so I didn't hesitate to collect all the health potions I could find, as well as a stamina one. I was surprised at how light they were, and how little they hindered my movement. I was wondering how it would be to run carrying books upon armor upon potions in game, but now could see how it was possible. For good measure, I grabbed a pile of salt I found on the shelf too, thinking it may come in handy later on.

Seeing me ready, Ralof nodded, and we moved along, moving further down into the keep. The next room we stumbled into was the torture room. I nearly gagged at the sight and smell. In the cages around the room, brutalized and neglected corpses lay. Stormcloak soldiers had been locked in even smaller cages, hung from the roof. Blood was splattered on the floor. I could feel the bile rise in my throat, and I moved to turn my head away, catching sight of some Stormcloak soldiers being cornered by who I knew to be the Imperial torturer and his assistant. Ralof and I didn't even need to communicate before rushing forward in unison to aid the soldiers; the disgust I felt at human torture driving me to anger towards the Imperials. I can honestly say I didn't feel much regret when they lay bloodied on the ground a few moments later.

The remaining Stormcloak confirmed that Jarl Ulfric wasn't with them, causing Ralof to frown while I remained silent, eyes locked on a cage where a dead man in mage clothes was left, his clothes hanging loosely around his malnourished frame. Ralof glanced at me and followed my gaze before striding over.

"Ah, there's something in here… But it's locked." He looked back at me, and beckoned me over, shoving a few lockpicks in my hand.

"I'm complete garbage with these, but you might want to try to get it open. We might need some of that gold when we get out of here."

I wasn't new to lock picking by any means. Between some pesky siblings at home who liked to lock me out of places, as well as a paranoid mother who liked to lock said pesky siblings out of places (like the cupboard where all the good snacks were), I was well learned in the art of lock fiddling.

While I usually used paperclips or bobby pins for lock picking, the pick itself was similar enough, and much better suited to the job. The tension wrench was the same. As a result, as I slid the lockpick in and carefully lifted the pins into place, I didn't experience much difficulty. Without so much as a broken lockpick, the gate opened. I carefully slid in, picking up some gold coins off the floor, and with some dismay, patting down the dead mage. While disturbing to me, if I was stuck in this bizarre situation of being _inside a video game, _I'd have to learn to cope. Off him, I got some more gold, though left the magicka potions. It was hard enough to wrap my head around wielding swords, I wasn't about to try and use spells. That was crossing a line of reality I wasn't ready to experience yet.

I turned back out, Ralof and the one surviving Stormcloak appearing ready to go. We exited the torture chamber, I casting one last weary glance at the dead bodies now on the ground.

_'Remember, Allena… you'll just have to do it. You're in a very weird situation, and you'll need to adapt accordingly.'_

Swallowing hard, I followed Ralof and the soldier into a great cavern. I could hear an underground waterfall in the distance. Predictably, we encountered two more imperials nearly immediately. The Stormcloak soldier that was with us let out an angry battle cry, running forward towards both of them immediately.

"No, wait…!" I called out, trying to draw out my sword as quick as possible. Ralof let out a similar cry of protest, drawing out his own weapons. We rushed in behind the soldier, however, just as he got in a swing on one Imperial, the other didn't hesitate to run him through the gut with his blade.

Ralof let out a cry of fury, immediately avenging his comrade; I held off the other imperial with a few swings, before Ralof turned and slayed him as well. Both of them on the ground, and both of us breathing heavily, we took a moment of silence. I definitely didn't know the soldier; just another nameless NPC. But, I still felt some kind of regret, because seeing them now in the flesh made it so much worse for temporary allies to die needlessly. I kneeled next to him, not knowing what to do or say. However, something then caught my eye laying on the ground- A longbow! I quickly grabbed it with a short gasp of excitement, grabbing a few arrows off both the Imperials as well. Admittedly, I'd never drawn a bow before, but I found this weapon much more preferable to close armed combat. Being kind of small and inexperienced in such made it rather scary upon continually coming across imperial soldiers who seemed eager to skewer me.

Ralof's voice then reached my ears again. "Alright, let's see if we can find a way out." He announced, not even acknowledging all the deaths we had witnessed and caused. Moving on, we came across a raised bridge, which would've been problematic if not for the corresponding lever right beside it. Shrugging, Ralof strolled right up to it and pulled, releasing the bridge. Without hesitating, we crossed to the next room; and good thing we did, as we heard more rumbling, and the roof over the bridge abruptly caved in. Ralof let out a shout of surprise, recoiling backwards, and I, admittedly, screamed, stumbling back into him. He caught my by the shoulders, steadying us both while the dust settled.

Yeah, I forgot about that part.

Releasing my shoulders and dusting himself off, Ralof shook his head and muttered, "Well, there's no coming back that way. I guess we're lucky that didn't come down on top of us. We'd better push on…" He glanced as me, as if checking to make sure I was alright. Just when I thought colour was returning back into my face, our latest near death experience had sent me back to being white as a ghost. I just shook my head, making an effort to steady my hands.

"I don't know how many more times I can handle nearly dying today, Ralof. I think we deserve some sort of break…" He laughed, and shook his head.

"Aye, it's been rough so far lass. But lady luck appears to be on our side, as we haven't died yet." He winked at me and I sighed, moving to go forward.

We next came across a path that led out of the area of the keep we were currently in. Unfortunately, by path, I meant watery stream filled with large, slippery, sharp rocks that screamed DEATH TRAP. I nearly groaned.

Even Ralof didn't seem that pleased, but lead me on anyways.

"Come on, lass. Since that cave in over the bridge, there's no other way. Nice and easy now, I'll help you…"

True to his word, he took a tentative step onto a rock, and held out his hand for me. I willingly took it, yelping as he gave me a pull and I fell into him, barely balancing on the slippery rocks. Hand in hand, and occasionally grasping onto each other for dear life, we slowly made our way along, somehow managing to follow the stream right to solid ground once more. By some miracle, neither of us fell in along the way.

"See? That wasn't so bad now, was it.." I gave him a stern look as he said such, causing him to laugh once more. I couldn't help but crack a bit of a smile in response; I was in a weird place, and a deadly situation, but at least I had one friendly Nord to help me through it.

The smile didn't last long though. We suddenly heard a strange clicking noise that sent a shiver down my spine. If my extensive movie knowledge was anything to go off of, that sound was usually indicative of…

"Those are some _biiiiig_ spiders there. Draw your weapon, this can only mean trouble." He muttered to me, trying to not draw attention to ourselves. I bit my lip, glancing around; spider webs were everywhere, and there were about five of the frostbite spiders. Ralof was right; they _were big_. Bigger than I would've imagined them to be. My heart started pounding. I wasn't exactly scared of spiders, but… well, I wasn't fond of them either, and these one's were _REALLY BIG. _I'm talking at least half my size big, and holy cricket, I didn't want to be in this situation right now.

I drew my bow out, loading it with an arrow as quietly as I could. While it was true I had never shot anything with a bow before, something in me was making me confident than I was with the Imperial sword. Maybe it was just the fact the bow gave me a chance to fight as far away from the spiders as possible, or maybe it was because something in me seemed to think using a bow for the first time in a life-threatening situation was a really great idea.

Must be the Bosmer blood talking.

I slowly breathed in, and slowly back out, steadying my hand. And, with only a second's hesitation, I released it. The arrow flew through the air, lodging itself in the spider closest to me, killing it instantly. Before I could praise myself, or take a moment to be awed by what I just did, the others reacted. Suddenly, the other four were rushing towards us. Ralof let out a cry, slashing one to death. Panicking, I tried to shoot another one with an arrow while it was right in my face, but got knocked back as it lunged, causing me to release the arrow at nothingness. Ralof, reacting quickly, spun around and sliced it cleanly in half with his sword before jumping to the side, skewering another one. With one left, I drew my sword from my hip, letting out a whimper as I cut off its' great dirty head, the body of it collapsing as I did so.

With the five spiders eliminated, silence fell around us, only the sound of the underground waterfall in the background. Sighing, Ralof sheathed his weapon, looking at me with a small bit of concern as he did so.

I, apparently, had taken to shaking like a leaf again. Remember when I said I wasn't scared of spiders? Well, at some point in that brief fight, I decided to go with a change of heart.

He sighed, grabbing both of my shoulders, and looking me in the eye.

"Allena, it's alright. We're nearly out of here, I can feel it. Just stay strong for a little while longer."

I looked into his eyes for a moment, and in his dark blue orbs, I saw that same fear I was feeling, but I also saw something else. A mix of emotions with some doubt, uncertainty, concern, and most prominent of all, determination. It was the same expression I saw in Drake's eyes before he made the leap into the inn before calling at me to jump after him.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded quietly, sheathing my sword, and hanging the longbow off my back. He gave me a small encouraging smile and a small squeeze on my shoulders before letting go and turning around, ever determined to steer us onwards.

Inevitably, because I was having the worst day ever, it got even worse as we stumbled across a bear. I groaned softly, meaning to express my displeasure without getting us mauled by a large angry grizzly. When I had played Skyrim in the safety of my own home, I didn't ever stop to question why, as I moved deeper underground in the keep, there were numerous deadly spiders and a bear, but now, as I took it all in, I couldn't help but wonder why in the world they'd be residing in such places. The nine divines must already hate me, and I hadn't even been in Skyrim for a day.

Before Ralof could say anything, I took lead for once.

"Let's just sneak by. I don't think she'll notice us if we go quietly. After all that's happened today, the last thing I need is to fight a freaking bear." I whispered to him, causing his tense look to turn slightly amused. He nodded in agreement though, silently reaching out for my hand. I gladly took it, and together, we tiptoed close to the wall, trying to stay concealed by the numerous boulders in the cavern. He pulled me along the path, and finally, at long last, we reached an exit, opening out into the face of a rock formation.

We stumbled out into the sunlight, causing us both to cringe and shield our eyes, but, Ralof's delighted grin couldn't be concealed, and went along nicely with the cry of joy I let out at leaving Helgen Keep behind.

Being in a place like Skyrim, I was by no means out of danger, but such relief washed over me at putting that chapter behind me and living to tell the tale that I openly smiled and turned to Ralof, launching myself at him, hugging him tightly around the neck.

Xxx

**Annnd… that's chapter two, ladies and gentlemen. :D**

**True to my word, I went back to the last chapter and corrected/tweaked a few things when it wasn't two in the morning. Nothing really noteworthy though, so no worries. C:**

**I have exciting news with the arrival of this chapter. And that is, I have a very very loose plan concocted for the course of this story! Yesiree, I started this story on a whim without a plan, but now I have something penned up, so I at least have some path to follow. **

**I'll try to get the next chapter up within the next 4ish days before I leave for a small vacation. As always, thanks for reading, and any feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you're all enjoying so far!**

**-Irelia**


	3. Riverwood

**3. Riverwood**

Apparently, I caught Ralof completely off guard, as he stumbled and looked very surprised. After taking a moment to collect himself though, he gave a small laugh and cautiously hugged back. For a moment, I felt happy and safe, but predictably, it couldn't stay that way. A roar thundered throughout the area, and gasping, I quickly released Ralof while he tugged me down into a crouch and pulled me behind some rocks. Huddling together in fear and want to stay hidden, we silently watched as Alduin flew overhead and continued on, flying away from Helgen. This time, I didn't shake; I was already improving! However, I went really tense, and it took Ralof a second to shake me out of it, looking at me with concern. When I gave him a reassuring smile, he smiled back and we both stood up.

"You know, Allena, you and me make quite the team." he joked, winking at me. I laughed shortly, shaking my head.

"A dragon, honestly… I never thought I'd see the day…" I said honestly. He simply nodded back, smile fading as he suddenly went all business.

"The closest town to here is Riverwood. If you stick close to the path, you should be able to get there easily enough. We should probably get out of here; the place will be swarming with Imperials soon enough." He said, turning grim with a glance around the area as though expecting them to start popping out. He looked back at me, grabbing my shoulders with a more urgent note in his voice.

"My sister, Gerdur, runs the mill in Riverwood. I'm sure she'd help you out. Just follow the road, lass. It's probably best if we split up. If the Imperials show up, they're less likely to catch us both if we're not together. So… good luck. I wouldn't have made it without your help today." he finished with a small smile. I assumed he was just saying that to be nice; I wasn't exactly useful. As he moved to run off though, I quickly grabbed his hand, panic in my eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but as I did, realized I didn't have anything to say. I just didn't want to be left alone in this strange world. He seemed to read as much in my expression as I dropped his hand and shifted awkwardly, shutting my mouth. He sighed and smiled kindly again.

"Then again, if we make such a good team, why break it up?" I gave him an apologetic smile as I nodded.

"Thank you… I'm not very familiar with, uh, the area." I said. He didn't question me, taking the lead down the path and immediately launching back into conversation.

"This province was a lot better before the damn Empire took over. The Stormcloaks, the true sons of Skyrim, will take it back, don't you worry. You may want to consider joining the cause." He said, raising an eyebrow at me. I gave him a look of exasperation.

"You want me to get involved in a civil war? Was it not obvious today was my first time wielding a weapon?" He laughed at my look of fear at the thought of fighting in a war and laughed.

"Aye, lass, true enough. Though, you did handle yourself rather well. I commend you for that." I smiled at him and the topic ended there. We kept moving forward, Ralof pointing something out or sharing a fact about the landscape every so often.

"And these are mountain flowers, very common. Useful for alchemy, making potions and whatnot. I'm not much of an alchemist myself, so I don't know much about their properties…" I jumped to attention. Alchemy would likely be a highly useful skill to have later on, especially if my fighting skills were less than extraordinary. I stopped to pick some of the mountain flowers, tucking them into one of my many pockets.

Ralof raised an eyebrow as I continually briefly paused along our way to pick up various items I knew to be alchemy ingredients, but didn't say anything. We continued along in comfortable silence until he pulled on my arm, going into a crouch. Looking ahead, I saw a small group of wolves just off the path. Ralof whispered in my ear, "We'll want to be the ones to attack them, as opposed to being caught off guard. Small, yes, and easily taken out, but very aggressive and their bite hurts like a son of a bitch." I nodded, silently drawing out my bow and loading it with an arrow. I slowly crept forward until I had a clear shot and released an arrow, instantly killing the one closest to me.

Instantaneously, the remaining three wolves reacted, rushing for Ralof and I, snarling with fangs flashing. Ralof was too quick for them though. He threw one of his axes, lodging it into one's stomach before drawing his sword and rapidly beheading another. The last wolf paused just for a second in apprehension, which was just enough for me to send another arrow through the air, finishing it off.

A beautiful partnership we were beginning to form, truly. Ralof nonchalantly picked up his thrown axe from the dead animal's carcass and we moved along.

We continued on the path in more silence until a familiar looking formation of three stones was in the distance in front of us. Just as he opened his mouth to explain, I excitedly cut him off, rushing for the stones.

"Ah, Standing Stones! This is great!" I said, going to kneel by them. He raised an eyebrow in curiousity.

After saying I wasn't familiar with the area, this was probably a bit fishy. I quickly remedied it with a rushed mumble of, "I've come across a few travelers in my time. I've heard of them." He seemed to find this acceptable, as the eyebrow lowered. I returned my focus to the stones. "They'll help you with certain, ah… skills I guess? Some sort of blessing?" I furrowed my brow, not sure how they'd actually work in real life application, but decided I had nothing to lose. After carefully weighing my options briefly, I put my hand over some sort of strange marking on the thief stone. Immediately, I felt a strange feeling surge through me, though couldn't describe it for the life of me. Ralof didn't comment on my choice of blessing, but instead waited for me to return to his side before continuing on, returning to pointing out different fixtures in the landscape. As we walked, I couldn't help but think that I was stepping a little quieter.

We soon reached Riverwood, Ralof turning left as soon as we did, glancing around uneasily at how calm everything seemed. "It looks like nobody here knows what happened yet. Come on, Gerdur's probably working at her lumber mill."

Sure enough, we soon spotted someone who had his same blonde hair and strong jaw. "Gerdur!" Ralof called out to her, causing her to turn around. She responded as we closed the distance between us.

"Brother! Mara's mercy, it's good to see you! But is it safe for you to be here? We heard that Ulfric had been captured…" She said, settling on a look of concern. She raised an eyebrow at my presence, but didn't yet say anything.

"Gerdur, I'm fine. At least, now I am." He responded with a tired sigh. Gerdur's concerned expression did not change.

"Are you hurt? What's happened? And who's this?" she said, finally focusing on me. "One of your comrades?"

Ralof shook his head, glancing at me.

"Not a comrade yet, despite how much the Stormcloak look suits her, but a friend. I owe her my life, in fact." I opened my mouth to protest, but he just winked at me quickly and started speaking to Gerdur before I could say anything.

"Is there somewhere we can talk? There's no telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials…" He said, lowering his voice. Gerdur looked a little surprised, and gestured to move to a more private place as she responded.

"Helgen? Has something happened?" She questioned, lowering her voice to match his. Before any response, however, a little boy and his dog ran forward.

"Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? Did you fight any Imperials? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?" He quickly questioned with much excitement. At the same time, Gerdur called her husband, Hod, to come join us. I just kind of stood there awkwardly, waiting to be spoken to. Gerdur sent her son, Frodnar apparently, away to watch for Imperial soldiers, and led us to a large tree stump as Hod came on over. Ralof sat down on the large stump with a grunt, and I went to stand beside him, quickly resolving that I wanted to stick to him like glue. Hod was the one that spoke, after nodding to me to acknowledge my presence, not even questioning it.

"Now, Ralof, what's going on? You two look pretty well done in." He said, matching Gerdur's concern. Ralof just sighed, rubbing at his forehead.

"I can't remember when I last slept…" He glanced at me before speaking. I gave what I hoped was an encouraging smile. It was probably more of a forced grimace.

"Where to start? Well, the news you heard about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us outside Darkwater crossing. Like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was… two days ago, now. That was where my friend Allena here comes in. She just happened to be crossing the border at the wrong time, and got captured, same as us apparently. We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping…"

Gerdur and Hod let out cries out outrage, glancing between me and Ralof with newfound worry. Ralof ploughed on.

"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then. But then… out of nowhere… A dragon attacked…"

Hod froze and Gerdur gasped, "You don't mean, a real, live…"

Ralof cut her off. "Aye, I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there. As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away. Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"

Gerdur nodded grimly, taking in the news of a dragon. "Nobody has come up the south road today, as far as I know…"

Ralof looked a little relieved, but I felt a weight filled with dread drop in my stomach. If no one had come up the south road yet, it meant Drake and Ian didn't get out with Hadvar… or, rather, maybe they were just slow? I tried to avoid thinking about it, but found myself glancing in the direction of the road as the conversation continued. "Good. Maybe we can lay up for a while. I hate to put your family in danger, Gerdur, but…"

This time, Gerdur cut him off. "Nonsense. You and your friend are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Let me worry about the Imperials." She said, waving him off. She then looked at me, warmth in her eyes. Clearly she was under the impression I played a major role in her brother's survival, as opposed to slowing him down and causing more trouble.

"And you… any friend of Ralof's is a friend of mine. Here's a key to the house. Stay as long as you like. If there's anything else you need, just let me know." She said with a small smile. I tentatively took her house key, smiley awkwardly back.

"I… thank you, so much." I murmured. Ralof stood, smiling broadly at his sister, thanking her as well. He volunteered to show me to the house before Hod could. Gerdur and Hod nodded, bidding us to come find them if we needed anything, and Ralof started leading the way once more.

As soon as we were out of earshot, I could help but blurt out, "Owe me your life? Are you crazy?! All I did was scream and shake and slow you down! Now your sister is going to think I'm actually mildly useful!" I said with wide eyes. Ralof didn't even pause before bursting into laughter at my exclamation.

"Lass, you shouldn't sell yourself so short. You did scream a few times, but you did do a fair job of watching my back. I wasn't the only one who took out some Imperials, you know. I was being sincere when I said I couldn't have gotten out of there by myself." He finished, still chuckling. I looked at him unamused, but didn't argue the point further. Instead, I sighed and returned the life-owing bit.

"And I wouldn't have gotten out by myself either. Thank you, sincerely, Ralof. You saved my life, and now your family has invited me to stay with them. I could never repay you…" I murmured, looking into his eyes. He smiled warmly, and reached out for my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Nothing owed, friend. I'm glad we've both managed to help each other out. Now…" we had arrived at the house, and giving me a once-over, he opened the door with his smile fading a bit.

"Let's get you fixed up a little, eh? Gerdur's got some supplies, I'm sure. He led me by the hand into the house, shutting the door behind us. As he went to go search through a chest, I looked down at myself after dropping my stuff near the door. The cuirass, being short sleeved, did expose my arms, which were now covered in dirt and bruises. I imagined my legs would be rather bruised as well. My shoulder was oddly sore, though that probably came with swinging a sword around for the first time in my life. Down the inside of my left arm was a long, deep cut that I had been a little too preoccupied to pay much mind to. I also had a few small scratches and cuts all over from being scraped against rocks and whatnot while running through the keep. I grimaced, finally having a moment to completely realize the pain I had been ignoring for the past while. I didn't even want to know the state of my hair and face.

"Ah, here we go…" Ralof finally muttered, standing and bringing some potions and a roll of bandages with him. He was beat up too. Like me, covered in bruises and small scrapes and cuts. However, he also had many old scars and marks, looking very battle worn. Life in Skyrim, I guess. He gestured to me to sit at the table, as he took the chair next to me. He pushed a pink-red bottle towards me as he unrolled some bandages.

I sat still, looking at it, completely bewildered. He seemed torn between laughing and looking incredulous as a few moments passed with me not doing anything. He finally cleared his throat, initiating some speech.

"Ehem… you know, you're supposed to drink that." He said, clearly trying to hold in his amusement. I frowned. I had figured as much, but… would it really help? I nervously picked it up, examining the bottle as he sniggered under his breath, watching me instead of focusing on his bandages.

I cautiously uncorked the bottle, peering inside and giving a sniff. It certainly didn't smell like much, and the color wasn't far off from pink lemonade. Despite this, I still wasn't convinced of its safeness, and only took a small, careful sip…

And immediately regretted it.

It took a lot of will to swallow that little bit of liquid instead of spitting it all out; I cringed and let out a small exclamation of disgust as I did so.

"Ugh! That tastes revolting! Do people actually drink this?!" I loudly let out with a tone of horror. Ralof burst out laughing again, ever amused by my antics apparently. I would've been indignant, but I was busy being horrified by the taste I had just experienced. It tasted of something moldy and old, with some undertones of some sort of dry grass. Altogether, not at all pleasant.

"You really must not be familiar with the area. I thought most people had gotten over potion taste long ago. I know it's probably foul lass, but make sure you drink the whole thing. You look pretty beat up, and clearly, your body isn't used to such. You need to take all the healing you can get." he said, urging me to drink the rest of the bottle. I nearly wanted to gag at the thought. Nevertheless, after a moment's hesitation, I plugged my nose, and chugged the of the bottle. I forced myself to swallow it all down before shuddered and coughing. Ralof patted me on the back encouragingly. The taste slowly went away though, and I started to notice a tingling feeling inside me. I nearly instantaneously felt less sore and hurt. Glancing at my arms, I noticed already some of the scrapes seemed to fade a little. My eyes widened in surprise.

"'Atta girl. You'll get used to it, I'm sure. We all do. Now, let me look at that arm of yours…"

He scooted his chair closer to me, pulling my left arm towards him, examining my one injury of any sort of concern. I wasn't new to injury by any means, having broken many a bone among many other things growing up, so I could tell this cut wasn't good news. An Imperial must've gotten me with a dagger. The journey through the keep already seemed hazy in my mind, so I couldn't pinpoint when it happened.

Ralof barely frowned, as he opened another small bottle, this one with some sort of cream in it. He carefully rubbed a little bit of the cream on my wound, it feeling immediately soothed. Then, with gentleness I didn't think possible from his rough and strong hands, he wrapped a thin layer of bandages over it. I just watched him work in silence; he seemed rather satisfied with his handiwork.

"Ah, that should be fully healed in a day or two. You'll be fine." I smiled thankfully at him, making him grin back before quickly downing a potion of his own, not so much as cringing.

Gerdur chose this point in time to come through the door, smiling welcomingly at us.

"Ah, Allena was it? I thought you might like something different to wear. While I'm sure you'd be a fierce Stormcloak soldier, the armor is practically hanging off you." Judging by the almost amused look in her eyes, I probably looked ridiculous. I gave an unhappy look at the armor I was wearing. I hadn't really bothered to worry about size before, but it was rather big…

Gerdur searched through a dresser for a second before bringing a bundle of fabric to me.

"There, it's an old dress of mine. You can have it, as I imagine you don't have many belongings. Won't offer you much protection I imagine, but it's clean and should fit. It'll do you well until you can get your hands on some better apparel." I opened my mouth at this thoughtful gesture, my eyes soft.

"Oh, Gerdur… thank you. Thank you so much." She just smiled at me, waving it off.

"Think nothing of it. While you get changed, Ralof will gather some things you can have. You can't be without any basic necessities in a place like Skyrim. And after that, I ask you to come see me outside beside the mill. I have something to ask of you." I nodded in agreement.

Ralof directed me to the bedroom to change, and he went back to the dressers to gather some things. I knew immediately I'd always be indebted to this family.

It felt rather nice to be able to get out of the sweaty, dirty, oversized cuirass and the ragged clothing I had been wearing under it. The dress was a little loose in the arms, and a little long, but fit well besides that. Gerdur had also handed me a worn pair of boots with the bundle, which I immediately traded for my dirty fur ones. As I inspected the Stormlock's boots as I removed them, I realized they had blood on them anyways, which kind of disturbed me. As I walked back to Ralof, I shook my fingers through my hair, trying to sort out some of the knots. For the most part, I was unsuccessful, though I did manage to shake out some of the dust that had settled in it.

Ralof turned as I returned to the room, looking a little surprised.

"Allena, you look… well, you look nice." He said, a smile tugging at his features. I didn't know what to say, so I rearranged my skirts subconsciously. Gerdur had given me a long blue dress that hung on the shoulders, and had a brown corset. I definitely recognized the ensemble.

He gestured to the bag I had removed upon coming through the door, which he set down on the table.

"I just dug up some things that could be useful. A few extra potions in case you get yourself hurt, the things you brought with you from the keep, bit of food, and some extra supplies you can probably trade for some much-needed gold." He said. I was speechless as he awkwardly shifted on his feet, probably because I was gaping at him.

"Ralof.. I… thank you…" I muttered, a little embarrassed. I felt bad, taking all these things from them without being able to give anything back. He smiled warmly, leading me to the door.

"Anything for a friend, lass. Now, let's go see what Gerdur wants."

We found Gerdur right by where Ralof had explained the dragon attack, and she looked suddenly anxious to see us.

"Ah, there you are. I'm glad the dress fits well." she said, nodding towards me. "So, I'll get right to it then. I don't want to bother you either for anything right after the ordeal you went through in Helgen, but I need you to do something for me… for all of us here. The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose." she started. I blanched right then and there. I knew exactly what was coming, and I also knew I wasn't the one for the job. She wasn't actually… sending me on the path of the Dragonborn, was she?

"Riverwood is defenseless," she continued, "We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever troops he can."

Ralof and I uncertainly exchanged a look. I realized she wasn't addressing me directly, rather giving us a choice as to who was to go. But I knew Ralof couldn't go. Jarl Balgruuf was not a Stormcloak sympathizer, and at the moment, Ralof was the only friend I had, seeing as I couldn't find Drake and Ian (though I tried not to focus on that).

I bit my lip, nearly not believing the words I was about to say. But I said them anyways.

"I'll go. I'll go to Whiterun." I said, looking her in the eye. She looked relieved.

"If you do that for me, I'll be forever in your debt…" I stopped her with my hand.

"No, Gerdur. I'm already in your debt. And Ralof's. He saved my life, and now you've done all this for me. It's the least I can do. And besides… Balgruuf is more of an Imperial person, and no doubt, it would be too dangerous for Ralof to go. He could risk getting caught. The Soldiers that associate me with the Stormcloaks all died in Helgen. It'll be easier for me to freely get to the city." I finished. Gerdur looked at me with great appreciation. I looked at the darkening sky with a bit of uncertainty.

"Though… I'll need some directions. And I'd rather leave during daylight…"

"Of course." Gerdur said hurriedly. "You can stay with us tonight and rest up. You have a weapon, yes? You should still probably pick up some more arrows or something anyways, so you'll need to pay a visit to Alvor, the blacksmith, anyways. For now, let's all go inside." I nodded, as did Ralof before all of us went back to the house.

That night, Gerdur made us all a stew with fresh meat and vegetables. It occurred to me how hungry I was then, having gone through the day with no food. We all talked around the fire they built inside. I was enjoying it, occasionally dodging personal questions about myself, but eventually couldn't avoid it when Hod finally turned to me and asked, "So, Allena, why were you at Darkwater crossing anyways, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gerdur and Ralof seemed just as curious to hear my answer, as they too looked at me with rapt attention. I nervously shrugged, suddenly looking down at my hands.

"Well… I don't honestly know." I started saying, choosing my words carefully. "I'm not quite sure… The first thing I remember is waking up in the cart across from you, Ralof." I said, nodding his way. Gerdur looked confused.

"So, you've lost your memory?" I shrugged and half nodded, deciding that was as good a cover story as any. Trying to explain that really I was stuck in a video game world would probably make them think I was mental. Also, they probably didn't know what technology was, and that was a whole other area I didn't want to try to explain.

They all gave me renewed looks of sympathy. Ralof in particular looked shocked.

"Allena, I-" I quickly waved him off.

"Ah, Ralof, don't worry! I'm not completely lost. It's just like… I have some sort of mental block on the past few days. I don't even remember leaving home. The other Breton and Nord that were beside me were friends of mine, but I think they were confused about what happened to us too…" I drifted off, deciding I probably shouldn't have even mentioned Drake and Ian. They remained respectfully quiet and didn't press the matter further. I stayed silent as well. It was Hod who broke the silence after a few moments.

"Well, in any case, it's getting late, and you two especially could use some rest. Gerdur and I will just go lock up the mill." as he said so, Gerdur got up and went to his side. Ralof nodded, and I bowed my head in thanks. Frodnar was already in the corner of the room by his parent's bed, slumbering on a bedroll. As they left to go outside, Ralof stood and showed me to Frodnar's bed, which had another bedroll set up near it. As I went for the bedroll though, he stopped me and redirected me to the bed.

"Oh no, Allena. You get the bed tonight. Tomorrow you'll be setting off to do us all a favor and deserve it. And besides, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to let a lady sleep on the floor." he joked, eye twinkling. I gaped at him for a second, and then smiled back.

"Thank you, Ralof." I muttered. He just nodded, gesturing for me to get into bed. I did so, as he crawled into the bedroll a few feet away after putting out the fire and blowing out some candles.

The bed wasn't as comfy as mine at home, mainly as it was stuffed with what I assumed to be hay, and the blanket was of the fur of some sort of animal, but was still exceptionally nice after the most bizarre day of my life.

"Sweet dreams, Ralof." I said out as an afterthought. There was a moment of silence, but then Ralof's strong Nord accent gruffly rolled through the air.

"Goodnight… Allena. Sleep well."

I didn't sleep well at all. In fact, despite the day's exhaustion, I slept very little. Gerdur and Hod didn't come back for a good long time, and Ralof was long asleep by the time they did. As soon as silence took over again once they turned in, I was lost in my own worries and thoughts. Most of which surrounded Drake and Ian.

I had no way of knowing if they made it out alive. I sincerely hoped they did, as I had thought they followed Hadvar, but… someone, Ralof and I were the first ones to make it to Riverwood…

I bit my lip to stay quiet, silent tears pooling in my eyes. I was really scared for them, and didn't know what I'd do if they didn't make it out safely. While I didn't want them to be in danger the way I was, the thought of being lost in Skyrim completely alone without either of them was completely overwhelming. For now, I had Ralof, and he was remarkably kind to me, which was great, but I missed Ian and Drake already, and knew I wouldn't be at peace until I knew they were safe.

I just didn't know how I'd find out if they were.

Xxx

The next morning, Gerdur directed me to Riverwood Trader and the Blacksmith so I could trade what I didn't need, and pick up anything I didn't have. After leaving the house with the bag Ralof had repacked me the previous day, along with the weapons I had picked up from the keep, I quickly did an inventory of things I needed to keep, and things I could sell. I had brought the Stormcloak armor with me, and decided I'd be selling it, along with the iron sword I was so inept at using. For weapons, I'd hold on to my long bow and a small dagger. In the bag Ralof had given me, I had some extra potions, some carefully wrapped food, lockpicks, a bit of extra gold, and some small jewels which I assumed were for trading. And so, I went to Riverwood Trader first, getting a bit of gold for used cuirass and sword, and an even larger amount for two sparkling amethysts. I also picked up a pair of gloves and a blanket made of deer hide and fur, already anticipating the Skyrim cold.

I next went to the Blacksmith and handed over a few septims for a couple dozen arrows to join the few I had picked off Imperials in my quiver. As I thanked Alvor, and turned to leave, I walked right into a pair of human bodies, causing me to stumble a little. I cursed under my breath before quickly apologizing for running into them as I looked up.

"Ah crap, I'm so sorry, I should've been watching where I was go-"

"…"

"…"

I was fairly sure my expression must have mirrored the flabbergasted looks Drake and Ian were currently giving me.

Xxx

**And that, my friends, was the least action packed chapter in the history of ever. I don't think it was my best work either, but I just really wanted to get something up, because I fell short of my promise and didn't get an update done before I left on vacation! So, have a mid-vacation update. There'll be more action next chapter, promise! **

**As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated, and thanks very much for reading :D**

**-Irelia**


	4. Whiterun

After a few moments of exchanging looks of shock and relief, Ian was the one to break the silence.

"Jesus, Allena… I… we… we thought you may have died!" He finally struggled out, a relieved smile gracing his features while Drake nodded in agreement. I shook my head and sighed.

"Oh ye of little faith…" I started to scold, but stopped, noticing my eyes were moist, which would probably completely ruin the effect. Instead I bit my lip and grinned at them, not even bother to contain the sudden tears that were spilling over. I was just so entirely relieved and grateful they were okay that my emotions were riding rollercoasters inside me. All of the worries I had tried to keep bottled up for the past day while I focused on other things were suddenly lifted from my chest, and it was nearly overwhelming.

So, I was driven to do the most logical thing in this trying emotional situation, which was start loudly crying and jump on them both, pulling them into a tight and abrupt group hug.

"I was so worried about you two idiots. I mean, I hoped you made it out with Hadvar, but I couldn't be sure… I'm so relieved I bumped into you, quite literally," I sputtered out between sobs. Drake and Ian both chuckled, both trying to escape my hold.

"Who holds such little faith now, eh?" Drake muttered. He held me back at arms length, gaze softening, fingers moving to wipe away some of my tears. I took the time to get a good look at them. They looked just about as beat up as I did, and both were dressed in Imperial armor. I wasn't really on the Imperial side in the war at the current point in time, but I guess they wouldn't be snatched up by them. They both had weapons, Ian with a sword at his belt, and Drake with a battle axe on his back. I smiled and gently pushed Drakes hand away, furiously wiping at my cheeks myself.

"Shut up, you. I'm just glad to see you guys are okay. Good timing too, because I was getting ready to leave Riverwood." I said, unconsciously glancing back to where I knew Gerdur and Ralof were. Ian raised a curious eyebrow.

"Strange… because we were too. In fact, we were leaving for Whiterun right now." His eyes said what his words couldn't as he spoke; they too had received the quest to inform the Jarl of the dragon attack. I frowned, a little confused, but wasn't complaining. If all of us were sent to Whiterun, that just meant we wouldn't be separated, and I wouldn't be eaten by wolves. Everyone won, really.

"I, er… was actually doing the same. Do I get to hitch a ride with you guys?" Drake laughed and Ian nodded his head, both smiling.

"And the trio is reunited once more. Let's set out, we've already said goodbye to Hadvar and Alvor here." I nodded, knowing this meant they did in fact escape with Hadvar, and remembered that Alvor was his uncle or something similar.

"Ah, but first… well, I must say my own goodbyes at the lumber mill." I muttered, glancing off towards it again. Ian just shrugged and started walking in the direction of my glance. "Well, let's get going then."

They came along with me to the lumber mill, hanging back as I returned to the same tree stump, Gerdur and Ralof casually talking as they were waiting to see me off. They looked up as I came, seeming a little surprised by the wide smile I was wearing. I faced Ralof first, wanting to share the good news.

"Ralof! The two men that were with me in the cart - I just ran into them at the Blacksmith! They made it out of Helgen too!" I exclaimed jovially. Ralof smiled, glancing at the two who were standing in the distance.

"That's excellent, lass. I'm glad you found your friends." his smile, while still sincere, turned sad at the word friends. It hit me that it was probably incredibly insensitive for me to bring up my friend's survival when none of Ralof's had escaped Helgen as far as we knew. My face fell at once, but before I could console or apologize, Gerdur spoke warmly.

"As they're standing there waiting for you, I suppose they're joining your trek to Whiterun?" I nodded, smile making its way back into my features despite my sympathy for Ralof.

"Yeah, they actually were asked too to go by Alvor, so all three of us will. I just wanted to say goodbye before we set off, so… I guess, farewell, Gerdur. Thank you very much for all you've done for me; I'll never forget it." I said sincerely, and a little awkwardly. Gerdur just waved it away, smiling at me.

"You've already repaid us by helping my brother, and now you're going to get help for Whiterun from the Jarl. That I'll never forget as well. Anytime, you are welcome in our home, Allena." I smiled warmly at her, and to my surprise, she gave me a quick hug before smiling back and walking away, leaving me with Ralof. We looked at each other for a few moments before he stood up and pulled me into a tight embrace. That wasn't quite as surprising, and I hugged back; It had only been two days, but we had been through a lot together, and he was the only reason I was alive. He had saved me, supported me, helped me, then brought me to his family for the night. I had found a true friend in Ralof, which may have seemed a little weird, as only a little while ago, he was nothing but an npc in a video game I happened to enjoy.

He seemed to think the same as me, as the embrace was so long it bordered on awkward before he pulled back, sad smile still on his face.

"Be careful, Allena. I know you'll be fine, especially with your friends with you. Thank you for everything. Helping me through Helgen, being a delight to be around, and now for helping my home by going to the Jarl." he muttered, voice thick with emotion. I was shocked to feel my smile turn sad as well, knowing we were wearing matching expressions. I was surprised how attached to Ralof I was already, but I realized it was because for me, he was a symbol of safety and surety. He was the pillar I had when I was so unsure about everything else; a dragon attacking, my friends missing, all while I was god knows how far from home. I was sorry to be leaving him; for selfish reasons as well as the fact I would miss his kind nature.

"And thank you, Ralof. You've kept me alive and safe, and I can never repay you, despite what you say. You have done so much for me, and I'll remember it always. I'm nearly sorry to be leaving for Whiterun, because I know I'll miss you and your family." I finished, voice falling quiet. He warmly smiled at me, hands on my shoulders.

"And I'll miss you, lass. You were a good companion. Don't fear though; I'm sure we'll meet again sometime soon." I nodded, unable to say anything more. As he let his hands fall, he caught one of mine and gave it a tight squeeze. I returned the pressure, holding his stare for another moment before letting go with one last smile, and turning back towards Ian and Drake, walking towards them, leaving Ralof behind.

With each step I took, I felt my face fall and my anxiety grow. I was leaving my safe pillar; the one thing I was sure of in this strange place, and leaving something like that made me feel like the world was sliding out from under my feet. It wasn't until Drake touched my arm as I reached them and looked me in the eye, gaze burning with concern as he mumbled, "Hey, you okay?" did everything lock back into focus, the strange anxiety leaving as quickly as it can. I gave him a small smile and nodded, making my way to the road without a word. They both silently followed, one on either side of me. I had a dead man's bow on my back, with a quiver of arrows, some bought with money that wasn't mine, and some stolen. I had pockets and small bags among me, all incredibly light and filled with necessities. We moved onwards, not daring to speak until we left Riverwood.

I didn't glance behind to see Ralof watching us as we left, a sad look in his eyes.

Xxx

The three of us walked in silence until Riverwood was fading into the distance behind us. We had passed a few wooden signs with arrows pointing to Whiterun, so knew we had but to stay on the path. It would likely be a day's walk, which gave us plenty of time to assess our situation properly for the first time since we got here.

Ian was the one to bring it up.

"Okay guys, there's no one around to hear us anymore… I think it's time to discuss how the hell we got landed here and what we're going to do about it." He announced, glancing at both of us. Drake just sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't think any of us can come up with a reason for how we managed to get _inside _of a video game," he said with exasperation, "and I doubt we could figure out a way back. I'm still rooting for the possibility this is all just a bad dream, but that possibility is growing slimmer as time goes on. For now, I think we should just avoid trying to explain how the hell this happened, because we're just going to make our heads hurt."

I nodded in agreement at his words, knowing full well how miserably I had failed to wrap my head around the situation the previous day. It did better to just mindlessly accept it and move on; and I said so to them. "Drake's right; it's probably best just to accept this without explanation, because we're not going to get one. For now, instead of worrying about _why _we're here, we need to focus on what we're going to do now that we're here. We have a big problem, and I mean that in a very literal way. I'm talking big, scaly lizards with wings who breathe fire and frost problem." I said solemnly, causing them both to look thoughtful. Ian continued on for me.

"That's only one of the many things that could kill us in a place like this. I wouldn't put it past a few angry Stormcloaks to be able to finish off Drake and I in our current garb." I glanced at their Imperial wear and thanked my lucky stars I was dressed as neutral as possible, despite my obvious lack of armored protection. They'd probably want new apparel when we arrived in Whiterun. Ian continued, "However, you're right, Dragons are a big concern. Mainly because we need the Dragonborn to show up and slay them all so we don't learn our fiery doom, and the problem is, we all know the path of the Dragonborn rather well, and… well…"

He didn't need to say anymore; the same thought was likely going through all of our heads. Here we were, in the midst of the Dragonborn's storyline. One of us could be Dragonborn, all of us could be Dragonborn, or none of us were. None of those three scenarios were at all ideal.

There was more silence until Drake spoke again.

"Nonetheless, here we are, and we have to deal with this. I say we just… go with the flow. Yeah, there are things we know the outcome to. There are things that are going to happen that we know are coming. However… it wouldn't do to have people knowing we have this bizarre knowledge. I say we just continue on as we would if this wasn't a fictional universe and we were just normal Skyrim citizens… even though we're not. Struggling to prevent or change certain events could prove catastrophic. We'll just live like we would… and if one of us has to go off and slay dragons, so be it." He said with a sense of finality. Ian and I both silently agreed, and so we continued on with this silent agreement between us.

The path to Whiterun was surprisingly peaceful. We weren't so much as attacked by a pack of wolves. I was very thankful we left during daylight, otherwise I doubted our situation would be quite as safe. Still, I was wary, and trusted Ian and Drake to be as well. As we walked, we exchanged stories of our escape from Helgen. They too escaped through the Keep in a similar manner to Ralof and I, just on a different path. Mostly, I was just relieved they were both relatively unscathed. At one point, apparently Ian was inches from decapitation by panicking Stormcloak soldier, but Hadvar had leaped and blocked the blow with his own sword just in time.

Such a story didn't do wonders for my anxiety or anything, but I did feel an enormous amount of gratitude towards the man who had called my name to the chopping block.

We continued onwards, me picking up thinks like lavender and tundra cotton along the way, until at last we were out of the wilderness and could see clearly in all directions, which was a bit of a relief. We all relaxed, feeling less tense than before, seeing the tall walls of Whiterun ahead of us in the distance.

"Ah, just up ahead must be the meadery!" Ian announced, pointing excitedly to a building we were coming up on. I simply glanced at it in wonder; it was positively bizarre seeing such a location in the flesh, as it was to see everything else. We kept on walking, until we beheld a very strange sight in the near distance.

A twelve foot tall, grey-skinned giant stood just outside what appeared to be a farm, while three humans surrounded it, fighting adamantly; the tallest of them barely reaching the giant's hip. Needless to say, I jumped like a scared kitten and let out a cry of fright, stumbling backwards. Ian fell completely still and silent, gaping at it in horror. Drake, however, put on a look of determination, placing a hand on his battle axe.

"Quick, we should help them, that thing's huge!" He roared, already rushing forward. Blood pounding in my ears, I sent the thing a look of terror before running after Drake, already holding my bow, and pulling out an arrow to put into place, yelling after him, "Drake, it's dangerous, don't be in such a bloody hurry to die!" my voice was laced with panic, yet still I ran, because there wasn't a thought in my head that even considered leaving Drake to go alone; I'd go to the end of the world for him, hyperventilating with fear the whole way if I had to.

I didn't have time to note my astonishment at realizing the three people were familiar members of the Companions before getting in range and releasing my arrow, managing to land it in the Giant's chest.

It wasn't enough though; that thing was monstrous.

With a battle cry that didn't seem to surprise the Companions at all, Drake leaped into the fray, slashing viciously at the thing's knees while dodging its club, trying to bring it down to a height easier dealt with. A man I knew to be Farkas - or Vilkas, I couldn't remember - was doing a similar thing while Aela shot arrows. I kept a bit of distance back, knowing at close range, I'd just get a club to the head, and tried by best to fire arrows at the thing's head and chest; you know, where all the important stuff is. My fear wasn't forgotten though. It made my breath shaky and uneven, and I sent a few arrows flying completely off course, thought thankfully, none of them hitting anything besides the ground. To my own surprise, I managed to finally land one good arrow in the giant's eye, causing it to howl and stagger, while Aela got one lodged in its neck. Legs and lower torso weak from Farkas/Vilkas, Drake, and Ria's melee attacks, it fell to all fours, hand trying to hold the pain in its eye, barely a moment to react before Farkas/Vilkas fearlessly ran to it, jumped, and ran his great sword through the giant's neck.

From that last hit, it collapsed to the ground, dead at last as it bled out. I felt slightly ill at the sight; still not something I was used to, even after the events in the Keep. Nevertheless, the regret that came with human death didn't bother me now, rather, I was relieved to see the giant go down and everyone relatively unscathed. Farkas/Vilkas, withdrew his sword from the great thing's corpse, casually wiping it in the grass before replacing it on his back.

"You're not bad with a bow, you know" a strong woman's voice floated towards me, and I whipped my head around to see Aela assessing me with interest. I tried to pretend I wasn't clammy and pale and shaking with fear. I cleared my throat and shifted my feet awkwardly, putting my bow away.

"Oh, well, er, thanks." I muttered, glancing nervously at Drake who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a cocky smirk at the fall of the giant.

"Not many are brave enough to run into a fight with a giant and fight so well." Vilkas/Farkas said, walking over and glancing at Drake and I, arms over his chest. He seemed impressed and intrigued. I squinted at him. He was pretty burly, so I wanted to think he was Farkas.

"I'm Farkas. This is Aela and that's Ria. We're member of the Companions in Whiterun." Definitely Farkas spoke, nodding at Aela and Ria as he said their names. I kind of gaped at him in shock and awe, but Drake managed to keep his head and confidently introduced both of us.

"I'm Drake, and this is Allena. Our friend Ian… ah, he's still back there." He said, glancing back at Ian who was still where we left him, looking awkward and terrified. Aela tsk'ed and shook her head towards him, but gazed at us, eyes burning, mostly focusing on Drake.

"True warriors bask in the glory of challenges like fighting giants. You both should consider visiting us at the Jorrvaskr." I stayed silent, not really sure how to react. It was nearly like… they were suggesting we should join the Companions.

Drake, however, smirked and shrugged, "Yeah, we'll stop by later. We'd love to stay and chat, but have some important business with the Jarl." Aela raised an eyebrow, looking impressed and simply nodded. The three Companions nodded to us, acknowledging our leaving as we turned and went to collect Ian. I walked over and tentatively touched his arm, a little unsure. "Uh, Ian…? Are you alright?" I asked, concerned. He simply clenched his mouth and nodded stiffly, shaking off my hand. Drake also sent him an unsure glance, but we both didn't question him further as he took some rigid steps forward, following the path to Whiterun, leaving the Companions with the giant.

It was about ten minute before we reached the gate to Whiterun. Ian wasn't quite as tense, Drake wasn't quite as cocky, and I had perfected my completely fake "calm and collected" façade I had decided would be my new default expression. A guard was standing outside the gate, and as we were unsure of what to do, simply tried to move past him into the city.

Predictably, it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Halt! City's closed with dragons about. Official business only." He said, fiercely cutting us off. To my surprise, Ian was the one to speak to him.

Ian rolled his eyes, letting out a noise of exasperation. "Well of course it is, you silly man. However, we're here on official business, and that official business is to give information to the Jarl about the dragons. Do you really think we're just strolling about, casually visiting Whiterun at such a time?" The guard open and closed his mouth a few times before clamping it shut and nodding, awkwardly mumbling out words of apology. He waved us forward, and the three of us all pushed against the heavy door, entering the city of Whiterun.

Ian sent me and Drake a sly look as we did, winking, and effectively completely returning to his normal self. I nearly laughed, but instead gasped as we got through the gate, and I took in the completely fictional Whiterun.

Warmaiden's was on our right, a strong-looking woman banging on a piece of steel, the Drunken Huntsman was ahead, I could see the market in the distance, and all of it altogether was nearly too much to handle.

I took a second to remember to breathe. As I glanced at Ian and Drake, I noticed they were wearing wide eyed expressions like me, and we all took a moment to collect ourselves, trying to adjust to the persistent strangeness of our situation.

"Well… let's go see the Jarl of Whiterun then."

Xxx

**Holy Jesus, I'm so sorry. 1) for how long it took me to update 2) for the low quality and shortness of this update. You're probably all hugely disappointed, and I don't blame you at all.**

Long story short, I moved into my dorm about ten days ago, and I've been busy ever since. My free time is _**very**_** limited, and I finally found enough time to put aside to write a measly six pages, yikes. Not even good pages, more filler. However, I just wanted to get **_**something **_**up. **

**So, here it is, in all its horrendous-ness. I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as I can, however, updates will have much longer gaps between them as I have a ridiculous amount of school work, and, well, school does come first.**

Thanks for reading, sorry for the wait, and even though this chapter wasn't that great, I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Please let me know what you think of this story so far!

**-Irelia**


	5. The Companions

**The Companions**

And so we did.

I couldn't describe how _weird _it was to walk through Whiterun if I tried. To see it all… We followed the cobblestone path through the city, passing everything I recognized; Warmaiden's, Belethor's, Arcadia's Cauldron, until we got to the stairs that led to Dragonsreach. Ian and Drake both wore expressions that mirrored the awe and amazement that I felt. A few guards nodded to us as we passed and made our way to the great, foreboding doors of the Jarl's palace. I paused, biting my lip as butterflies rose up in my stomach; this would be the best way to rapidly plunge ourselves into a series of hugely dangerous situations. Ian exchanged a glance with me; he seemed to share my same anxiety, but under that was a layer of interest and curiosity. It was Drake who wore a confident and intrigued look as he pulled open the large front doors.

I noticed immediately that the whole huge hall was lit by the flickering dimness of candles; to be expected, but still not something I was accustomed to. As we entered, the doors shut loudly behind us, causing a few people to glance at us. Drake led us, me timidly following behind while Ian stayed out to the side, looking kind of unsure. A fierce looking, and familiar, Dunmer woman strode towards us, a severe look on her face.

"What's the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors." The woman barked at us - Irileth I think her name was. I was slightly taken aback by her rudeness, and would have snapped back in any other circumstance, but the image of her running the sword that was sheathed on her hip through my torso kept me silent. Ian was the one to speak up for us, striding forward.

"Oh, I think you'll find the Jarl is very interested with the news we bring; we've come from Helgen with news of the dragon attack." he spoke smoothly, cocking an eyebrow. Irileth sputtered for a second in surprise.

"Well, that explains why the guards let you in then! Very well, yes, Jarl Balgruuf will want to see you immediately." she spoke with new urgency, spinning on her heel to lead us across the hall to the Jarl's seat. I just shook my head, following in pace beside Drake while Ian took the rear; our Breton friend certainly had a way with words, even though he was a bigger chicken than I was.

The Jarl raised an eyebrow at the three of us as we approached, but didn't say anything. He was slouched lazily in his chair, clearly used to relaxing as he gave orders, letting others do the work. We lined up in front of him, me clearly being doomed to the middle. Drake inclined his head slightly as he spoke.

"Jarl Balgruuf, we've been sent from Riverwood to ask for assistance. The three of us were at Helgen when a dragon attacked; very few of us escape with our lives. We managed to get to Riverwood, and were then sent to you. Riverwood is defenseless if the dragon decides to return, and they call for your aid." he finished his speech on a strong note. Ian was charming when he wanted to be, but Drake just had an honest and confident tone to his words; you wanted to believe him when he spoke. However, Balgruuf just raised another lazy eyebrow.

"So, the rumors are true then? This dragon did attack Helgen? That does seem very odd…" I felt myself twitch at his words. They sounded nearly… disbelieving?

"It was pretty odd to us at the time too when we nearly got roasted by dragon breath," I said quietly, looking him in the eye, "… sir," I added as an afterthought. I seemed to have caught his attention. Not that I meant to; Drake and Ian were really better at the talking impressively thing.

"Would you care to tell me about how you, ah… nearly got roasted by dragon breath, elf?" his thick Nord accent piqued with a note of curiosity. I shrugged, voice staying low.

"Well, it all started when I woke up in an Imperial carriage with no ideas of how I ended up there. Here I am, a perfectly law abiding citizen with no record of ever even displaying the slightest bit of distaste for the empire, when I find out I'm in a cart headed for the chopping block." I said as lightly as possible, though this did stir some small reactions out of the people listening.

"So anyways, eventually I found myself pushed to my knees, neck coming into contact with the block that was already coated in the warm blood of Stormcloak soldiers when… a mighty roar unlike _anything _I'd ever heard echoed everywhere. People were looking up, confused and scared, and then… it _shouted _at us. Everything went black for a second then, just from the sheer strength of its' voice." Everyone was silent and watching me now; in my peripherals, I even noticed Ian and Drake watching me, slightly surprised.

"Suddenly, my vision cleared, and there was panic everywhere. Buildings crumbling and on fire, people dropping like flies, complete and utter abrupt destruction. And a great black _dragon _circled over it all, breathing fire and crushing structures like they were built of sticks. So, I ran for it, and somehow found myself out of it alive. We all did. Just in time to watch the dragon fly away unscathed." I finished, crossing my arms as I did, still in an eye lock with Balgruuf. His mouth was open into a soft 'o' and everyone else was silent. Drake was the next one to speak up.

"The moral of the story, sir, is that the dragon could basically decide Whiterun is its' favorite hold to wreak havoc upon if you're not ready." He finished grimly. Jarl Balgruuf nodded, finally looking over at his steward and housecarl.

"We'll have much to discuss and plan then. Whiterun's walls are strong, but I'm not sure how effective they'll be against a dragon," he finished, straightening up a little in his chair. He looked back towards us.

"Well done. You sought me out on your own initiative and brought valuable information. You've done Whiterun a service and I won't forget it." He said, inclining his head to us slightly. This surprised me slightly, so I just looked at him with a bit of surprise and didn't respond. Some words were exchanged between him and his steward while I exchanged some looks with Ian and Drake. Anxiety was bubbling in my stomach once more; a sensation I was sure I'd have to get used to as long as we were in this predicament.

Balgruuf soon turned back towards us.

"There is another thing you could do for me…" He started, glancing at the three of us. At his words, my stomach twisted uncomfortably. I couldn't say I didn't see this coming, but hearing it was still… really scary.

We all stayed silent, though I heard Ian's breath hitch beside me.

"I'm sure you're all… well suited to the job. Come with me, and my court wizard will fill you in." He said, as he slowly got up from his seat. Clearly, we didn't have much of a choice in the matter. We all filed behind him; blood was pounding in my ears. I barely heard the exchange that happened between the Jarl and the wizard, as well as most of the words Drake and Ian said on behalf of the three of us. I tuned in in time to hear the conversation summed up by the wizard.

"Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet (no doubt in the main chamber), and bring it to me. Simplicity itself." He ordered briskly. If I felt like I was going to pass out on the spot, it apparently didn't show, because everyone proceeded as though I was fine with the current arrangement. It was Drake who nodded in agreement after a few seconds, nodding and placing his hand under his chin in thought.

"… Very well. We'll head off tomorrow, I suppose. I think we could all use some time to rest and ready ourselves."

With that, the discussion had ended, and I found myself whisked out of Dragonsreach by Ian and Drake.

;

"This is a bad idea. This is a bad, bad idea. I'm going to throw up again." Ian said in a harsh whisper to Drake and I. Upon exiting the Jarl's palace, we had raced down the stairs, Drake with a determined sort of nervousness around him, me remaining completely silent, and Ian looking pale and feverish. He promptly threw up in front of the shrine to Talos once we reached the bottom of the stairs. After that, we continued racing so as to not get chewed out by Heimskr. Drake had decided it was probably easiest to usher Ian to the Bannered Mare, and so that's where we sat now, gathered around a small table in a corner.

"Ian, we don't have a choice. If we don't do this, who will? What will happen to Skyrim?" Drake whispered back, urgency in his voice. Ian had a retort ready and waiting.

"Who cares? Skyrim doesn't exist! We shouldn't be here! It's not our problem!"

"Yes it is," Drake hissed back. "Until further notice, we're stuck here, so if Skyrim meets its' doom, so do we!"

Ian didn't have a comeback to that.

I just kept my mouth shut and stared into the bowl of stew that sat in front of me, moving the spoon around it every so often, appetite completely nonexistent. We were on the path of the dragonborn, and that idea was so terrifying and yet… nearly _exciting _at the same time. Or, it would be if I wasn't so worried we'd all meet our untimely deaths.

Silence fell around our table for a few moments until a soft hand touched my arm.

"Allena… you haven't said anything yet." Drake said softly. I looked up into his gaze, and there, our eyes locked. In his blue orbs, I saw his determination and bravery flaring. Sure, there was uncertainty, but it was in Drake's nature to overcome that. I knew as soon as we stared at each other that he was completely driven to go through with whatever Skyrim threw at him. And I knew that I'd go with him to the end, because Drake was important to me, and I'd meet whatever end he did. We had been friends for years, and we were in this predicament together.

So I bit my lip and tore my gaze away. Just like that, I was resigned to diving into a Draugr infested hell hole the following day.

"… I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to think. But… we don't have a choice. I don't have a choice. I'm scared and worried and confused and lost, but…"

I found myself looking back into Drake's burning gaze, and in that look, I saw all the years we'd been best friends, and all the things we'd gone through, and I sighed and admitted defeat aloud.

"I'll follow you anywhere you go, even when you're leading me into imminent death, you prick."

The corners of his mouth upturned into a small smile, though my emotional words weren't enough to make Ian stop looking queasy. He was a smooth talker and excellent persuader; nerves of steel, he had not, even though he could convince people he did.

"We're going to die tomorrow." He groaned, banging his head on the table.

Such a bucket of sunshine, our Ian.

We had a bit of discussion of how to proceed for the rest of the day, and what we needed to get for tomorrow. It was decided we all needed a new set of armor; I was wearing Gerdur's old dress, and they were both still in ill-fitting Imperial garb.

The only problem was the question of if we had the gold to acquire such expensive apparel.

As we exited The Bannered Mare once Drake had done enough talking for all three of us about what to do, it was getting close to late afternoon. We all came to a halt, not sure how to proceed. Drake glanced off to his right, looking wistfully at Jorrvaskr. Aela's invitation to visit the Companions had not been ignored by Drake. While in the Bannered Mare, we had decided now was not the time to become wrapped up in being astounding warriors of any sort, and he agreed, but despite our strange predicament and lack of battle experience, I could tell it was tearing at him.

Ian groaned and I sighed as Drake look away back towards the circle looking like a whipped puppy. I didn't say it, but I knew that Drake was kind of our "group leader" and we'd end up wherever he wanted to go. Ian seemed resigned to this too.

"Allena... just take Drake to see the Companions. I know he's in a rush to find more quick ways to a speedy death, because the dragons and the draugr weren't enough." He said with a defeated sigh, shoulders slumping. "And make sure you make him get some new armor or something. I'll keep myself busy for a bit and see you guys back at the inn for the night."

We had told Hulda we'd be back that night and already had the Bannered Mare's one room reserved for the three of us to crowd in. Drake smiled a little guiltily at Ian's already turned back, as he started walking away from us.

"Thanks, buddy. We'll see you tonight!" he said, hand shifting to touch the hilt of his battle axe. I shook my head at him scoldingly.

"Oh no. We're going to Warmaiden's and the Drunken Hunstman, and we're both getting newly outfitted. You can't go around looking like _that_ much longer." I said, glancing at his Imperial garb. It was probably just a dangerous idea to be wearing armor that so clearly displayed a side in the war, especially when we didn't have one. He flinched and nodded in agreement.

"Ah… yeah, let's go then, I guess."

The trip there was uneventful. We first went to Warmaiden's, and spoke to Ulfberth War-Bear about armor prices. It was apparent really quickly that we wouldn't be affording anything worthwhile anytime soon. When we pooled all of our money and things that could be bartered together, we barely came up to 900 gold. I bit my lip, glancing at Drake beside me. I was hoping we'd be able to get some decent armor for the dangerous journey ahead, but 900 was only just enough for a single set of steel armor for him; boots and gauntlets not included.

In the end, I got a set of hide armor, while he got iron, and we were both low on coin. Until further notice, we'd be spending every night in an inn, and we didn't have any income, and…

As we passed through the market wearing our new armor, Fralia Gray-Mane and her glittering trinkets caught my eye. No doubt, they were worth a lot of gold.

Fralia caught my eye as we continued to walk past, and I sent her a halfhearted tight-lipped smile. She gave a small and unsure one in return.

Drake led the way to the Jorrvaskr, hesitating only for a fraction of a second before glancing at me and throwing open the doors to the great mead hall.

Within its doors, chaos ensued. Njada and Athis were brawling, throwing punches back and forth while the others watched and jeered. Drake raised an eyebrow and I snickered behind my hand; I should've been expecting the brawl to be occurring, but it was still so weird to experience.

We just hung back and watched as Njada came out victorious. Only then did Aela turn around and spot us apart from the other Companions. She strode towards us, a warm look on her face - not exactly a smile, but I felt welcomed, nonetheless.

"Good to see you both decided to pay us a visit," she said, appraising us both approvingly. I nodded stiffly, suddenly realizing I had little purpose here; I was by no means a warrior. I was scared and small and inexperienced, and was far more likely to run from a battle than embrace it. I quickly decided I was only here to keep Drake company.

Drake, however, gave a warm grin, full of confidence, nodding enthusiastically.

"We just couldn't resist coming to… say hello after watching you all fight that giant so bravely. It'd be an honor to be able to join you." Aela looked at him, practically glowing. I used my will to resist deadpanning then and there. Clearly, he was _insane_.

"You'll want to speak to Kodlak Whitemane, our harbinger, if that's the case." Drake tilted his head in agreement with the response, "Maybe we'll do just that."

'_STOP SAYING WE, YOU PRAT.'_

I gaped in horror as Drake thanked Aela, and confidently strode towards the stairs that lead down to the living quarters, pausing only slightly to gesture for me to follow. I felt my limbs robotically move after him, albeit, much slower than his eager strides.

Just as he moved to open the door, however, I grabbed his arm and yanked back, stopping him.

"Are you _mental_?" I hissed, eyes narrowing. Drake wore an expression of purity and innocence that had me caught between wanting to slap it off his face and laughing at his aloofness. I took a deep breath, and released his limb, but kept hold of his eyes.

"We literally _just _arrived in this… _place_. Sure, we've decided to proceed as though we're Skyrim residents, but joining the Companions? Drake, you don't even know how to fight!" I whispered harshly at him. He just blinked at me.

"Well… what better way to learn than from a group of experienced warriors?"

Yes, he was insane, it was confirmed.

I returned to gaping at him as he flashed me what I assumed was supposed to be a reassuring smile, and opened the door to the living quarters.

There were a few scattered members around, and they all flashed us looks varying from curious to hostile. I was supposed to be exasperated with him, but I quickly attached myself to Drake's side, feeling very timid and small. We walked down the hall, glancing around corners and doorways until we saw Kodlak Whitemane sitting at a table with Vilkas, talking in hushed tones.

My stomach twisted uncomfortably. I had officially reached my maximum strange level. Drake shook me away and puffed out his chest, confidently striding towards the Harbinger of the Companions, inclining his head towards him when he got there. I lingered behind, watching with mingled curiosity and horror. Kodlak appraised him with an intrigued air.

"A stranger enters our halls." He mused aloud, looking at Drake. I did my best to fade into the background; it worked on Kodlak. Not on Vilkas, he spotted me and gave me a hard look, but remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the conversation his Harbinger was having.

"Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger. My name is Drake, a mere traveler. My friend and I came across some of your honorable warriors fighting a giant on our way to Whiterun, and I was inspired. I'd like to join the Companions."

He certainly knew what notes to play to flatter somebody; Kodlak look quite pleased. Vilkas looked slightly disgusted though.

"Would you now? Well… let's see. You definitely have a certain… air about you. A strength of spirit maybe." he spoke with an approving tone which made Vilkas's look darken, finally speaking up.

"Master, you're not truly considering accepting him?" his voice came out in a rolling, accented growl. Kodlak threw him a sharp look.

"I am nobody's master, Vilkas. And last I checked, we had some empty beds for those with a fire burning in their hearts." Drake swelled at that; just what he needed, an ego boost. I simply stood there questioning whatever God that governed Skyrim why I was in this situation.

"Apologies, but perhaps this isn't the best time. I've never even heard of this outsider..." Vilkas rumbled once more, glancing at Drake, eyes now off me. Kodlak simply shrugged and spoke thoughtfully.

"Sometimes the famous come to us. Sometimes men and women come to seek their fame. It makes no difference. What matters is their heart," he finished wisely. I could tell Drake was trying to restrain himself from positively beaming. Vilkas seemed to settle down at Kodlak's words. He couldn't seem to resist adding, "And their arm" to the end of Kodlak's speech. This caused the Harbinger to smile and nod in agreement.

"Of course. How are you in battle, boy?" he questioned of Drake. I prayed that Drake would be reasonable; admit he had one lucky bout with a giant, but really, wasn't used to swordplay.

To my dismay, however, he smirked and gave a carefree shrug, casually fingering his battle axe.

"I can handle myself."

If there was a brick wall to repeatedly bang my forehead against without alerting the Harbinger of my presence, I would readily use it. Kodlak smirked right back at him.

"That may be so. This is Vilkas; he will test your arm," Kodlak said, nodding at the dark Nord beside him. I inwardly sighed. Drake was going to die in a test against a Companion before we could even face a dragon.

"Vilkas, take him out to the yard, and see what he can do." Kodlak finished, a strange look twinkling in his eyes. Vilkas let out a small sigh and an "aye" in response. As Vilkas stood up, and Drake shifted to follow him however, Kodlak eyes finally found me, causing his eyebrows to rise.

"Ah, but there is another! What's your name, girl?" he questioned me, staying relaxed in his chair. I suddenly felt very, very small. Drake gave me a reassuring grin, and Vilkas shot me a frown. I liked game Vilkas, but decided I didn't care for him very much in person.

"I'm just Allena, the friendly neighborhood sidekick. No fighter here, sir. I'm just here to make sure Drake doesn't get himself lost." I said in a rushed tone. This caused Vilkas to scoff and Kodlak to laugh.

"Is that so…" he started muttering. Drake shot me a quick look before interjecting though.

"Not at all! Allena was with me when we came across the fight with the giant. Even she joined in; she's a great shot with a bow. Even your own Aela the Huntress complimented her on it." At this, even Vilkas raised an eyebrow in interest. I shot Drake the dirtiest look I could muster, before turning back to the Harbinger, trying to repair the damage Drake had done.

"I, er, that? Complete fluke; an accident, really. Just the silly wood elf inside me coming out in times of peril." I hurriedly said, waving my hand in the air. Drake, sensing my discomfort, took no pause before leaning forward with a shake of his head.

"She's being modest."

"I'm being truthful!" I screeched, batting at his face. He moved back in time though, smirking, but didn't press the matter further. Vilkas simply scoffed again, and continued walking towards the stairs back up into the main hall. I sent an apologetic glance at Kodlak.

"Er… sorry about that, he knows just how to make me uncomfortable. I'm really not a fighter. Like I said, I'm more of a sidekick; I don't relish in the battle, I'm just there to help out and keep everyone else out of danger." I muttered, shaking my head. Kodlak smiled gently.

"We'll see about that yet; you may not think you're a fighter, but that's still an honorable way to go about your battles. You should go keep an eye on your friend then, if that's your philosophy," he replied, eyes twinkling again. A strange look on my face, I gave him a half smile/grimace, and nodded, inclining my head in respect, and turning on my heel to catch up to Drake and Vilkas.

By the time I got out of the living quarters and up the stairs into the mead hall, the door to the training yard was already closing behind them. Paying little mind to the weird looks I got from the Companions milling about, I raced for the door, grabbing it before it shut, and spun myself outside of it. Aela was sitting at one of the picnic benches, a drink in hand, watching Drake and Vilkas head towards the empty area with interest. I timidly took a seat across from her, hands knotted in my lap. She nodded towards me by means of acknowledgement.

"I presume your friend Drake asked Kodlak to join up?" she asked, confirming what the ongoing situation suggested to her. I nodded and replied.

"And then asked Vilkas to test him out." Aela nodded, quickly glancing back at them before returning to me.

"What about you then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow simultaneously with the flagon to her lips. I shifted awkwardly, glancing away from her eyes.

"I'm no warrior. Maybe one day I will be, but not today. I'm only here with Drake." She said nothing, but remained silent and thoughtful at my response, Vilkas's shout at Drake being the only think that broke her from her trance.

"Kodlak said to test you, so let's get this started!" he roared, pulling out a sword and a shield. Drake copied him, quickly grabbing his axe from his back, holding it firmly with both hands. Vilkas made no move to attack him first, so Drake let out a cry, rushing forward, and swinging brutally with his weapon. It clanged loudly against Vilkas's shield, and caused the wolf twin to slightly stumble back. Growling, he stepped forward, swinging out with his sword, but Drake quickly danced to the side, out of reach. Vilkas was faster and more experienced though; he rapidly stepped forward once more, feinting to his left, then swinging to the right. Drake would've been slashed in his side if he didn't manage to bring his axe down quickly enough to parry the hit.

They both jumped backwards, ready for another go. I felt my mouth falling slightly agape; Drake was really doing well for his first day in Skyrim. It made me think of how I managed to pick a lock and shoot a bow without much experience at all; based on how much more bulky he looked than he did at home, we had seemed to inherit some strengths based on our race… which explained why he could handle himself with a battle axe.

Speaking of battle axe, this time, he brought it upwards above his head, running forward to swing it down on Vilkas, but Vilkas blocked with his shield once more, using his sword arm to swing at Drake's torso while his arms were locked above his head by the shield. He only just managed to dodge the slash by releasing his battle axe with one hand, and moving to the side. He then quickly pulled his weapon back towards him, before swinging once more at Vilkas's side before he had time to readjust his shield. Vilkas, however, managed to stop Drake's swing with his sword, before bringing his shield around, and using it to thrust Drake back.

And so it continued; Drake would attack, then Vilkas would block and try to return a blow, but Drake would manage to dodge, and the cycle repeated. Finally, Drake had swung around at Vilkas once more, this time, Vilkas deflected by driving his sword in front of the axe's blade to halt it, while lunging at Drake with his shield, shoving him back, causing Drake to relinquish his hold on his caught battle axe. Now armless, Drake stumbled back while Vilkas let the axe fall to the ground. There was a brief look of panic in Drake's eyes, but it quickly went away as Vilkas sheathed his own sword, and let his arms fall to his side.

"Not bad," he said to Drake, eyebrows raised in slight approval; it was the most pleasant expression he had worn since we came across him. "Next time won't be so easy though." he added, noting that Drake was panting, while he himself had barely broken a sweat.

Drake simply nodded, stepping forward and bending to grab his axe, and return it to his back. I just looked at him in awe; he was always strong and athletic, but this new Nord Drake was vastly more fearsome than the one I knew. I watched Vilkas too; I figured he'd be strong, being a seasoned Companion, but the calm look on his face the whole time Drake was viciously trying to best him proved that to me and then some. However, the length to which he let Drake lash at him did make me think Drake was right; the best way to learn how to fight was to hang out with the best. I was nearly questioning my resilience against asking to join the Companions when Vilkas spoke again.

"You might just make it. But for now, you're still a whelp to us, new blood, so you do what we say." He smirked, removing his sword from his hip, holding it out to Drake with a superior look on his face. I had nearly forgotten the new blood stuff the Companions pulled; it made me feel immediately good about not being in Drake's position.

"Here's my sword. Take it up to Eorland to get it sharpened. But be careful; it's probably worth more than you are."

Oh, I definitely didn't like Vilkas in person; he was a prick.

**Xxx**

**Heeeey… long time no see! *barrel rolls out of way of projectiles***

**I realize it's been a… hefty amount of time since my last update, but try to understand, I'm really busy, and also, a horrible procrastinator. **

**Nevertheless, here's an update of sorts! I will be trying to… get them out a little quicker than the time it took me for this one. Hopefully it was enjoyed by all!**

As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated, so I can gauge how I'm doing with this story. I'm always really unsure about what I've written when I post a chapter, so let me know what you think!

**-Irelia**


	6. Bleak Falls Temple

**6. Bleak Falls Temple**

Not having much else to do, I dutifully tagged along as Drake practically bounced up the stairs to the infamous skyforge, grumbling the whole way. If I were given the choice, we'd never do anything dangerous, and never leave the safety of Whiterun's walls, but, well… apparently I didn't get a say in these things.

As Drake reached Eorland and made conversation, I thought back to his fight with Vilkas. It's true, Drake was always athletic and strong, but he was no fighter. It made me think about my affinity with the bow I hadn't used before Helgen; by all means, I should have no idea how to shoot an arrow. But I did, nearly like it was second nature. I frowned to myself in my realization; we likely inherited skills and traits respective to our races. In which case, Ian was probably much more partial to using Magicka, which would explain his hesitance to use a sword. That, and he was always a bit of a scaredy cat. The more I thought about it, the more I realized Drake had easily transitioned into a perfect Nord; he had no trouble moving around in his heavy armor (which likely would've smothered me), and he was turning out to be a natural fighter with his battle axe. Meanwhile, I felt surprisingly at home in my hide armor, could aim a bow shockingly well, and was likely… light on my feet.

I was snapped back to attention as Drake turned excitedly towards me, brandishing a shield to bring to Aela. I rolled my eyes before inclining my head to Eorland in parting, and once more, loyally tailing behind Drake, the great buffoon.

He happily returned Aela's shield to her, which she took with an appraising smile. It was very clear that Drake was her new favorite welp. She thanked him and said if he was looking for work, to talk to herself or Farkas. He nodded eagerly, but said it would have to wait, as we were leaving on a quest for the Jarl the next day. Looking very impressed, she dismissed us to return to the inn for the night, and so we left, Drake positively beaming, and me…. Not so much. Since he mentioned going to Bleak Falls Barrow, I felt distinctly ill.

When we returned to the Bannered Mare, we found Ian sitting in a corner, bowl of stew in front of him, donning spiffy new leather armor while looking extremely smug. We plopped down on either side of him, which he acknowledged with a slight nod. I couldn't even contain my confusion.

"How in the world did you afford leather armor? Drake and I barely managed to get our hands on a set of cheap armor each!" I exclaimed, eyeing his garb a little jealously. Ian shrugged, a small smirk on his face.

"I dunno, I guess Belethor just took a liking to me." He said simply. I sighed and dropped the subject; Ian was dangerously good at winning people over, even if he seemed like an insufferable toerag to me sometimes.

Drake didn't seem concerned by this at all. He waved for Hulda to bring him and I a bowl of stew each as well, a small smile on his face. He was still glowing over the Companions letting him into their ranks - even if he was just a welp. My realization I had back at the skyforge occurred to me at the table once more, and I looked curiously at Ian again. This time, he just rose an eyebrow at me.

"Hey… Ian, have you tried… you know, using magicka?" I asked, my own eyebrow raising. The spoonful of soup he was moving towards his mouth stopped as he frowned at me.

"Now, how in the world would I figure out how to do that?" he questioned before finishing his spoonful. I gave a non-committal shrug and a response.

"It's just… I dunno, Drake showed the Companions he really knew how to throw around a battle axe, never having done so previously, and I know how to shoot a bow, and I figured… you'd magically obtain Breton skills as well." He paused once more at that, looking thoughtful. No response on the subject came though, as instead, a look of horror overtook him.

"Wait… what do you mean he showed the COMPANIONS he knows how to throw around a battle axe?" he asked, looking very unsure of something, as though he was hoping he was wrong. Drake smiled sheepishly while I sighed once more. I had a feeling I'd be doing a lot of that in Skyrim.

"Drake… Drake joined the Companions." Ian blanched and glared daggers at Drake, who was still trying to look innocent. The Breton pursed his lips, looking really annoyed indeed.

"You're really going to get yourself and us killed, you know that?"

;

Soon after that uncomfortable episode, Ian revealed he managed to pick up a few extra supplies along with his ridiculously new and effective leather armor. Namely food, medical supplies, and some arrows for me he got at the Drunken Huntsman. Again, I didn't even question how he pulled it off, as they were expensive steel arrows, quite unlike the iron ones I had salvaged off Imperials in the keep. We soon went to bed, extra bedrolls set up in the room so all three of us could sleep. Drake fell off into dreamland rapidly, his exciting day taking its' toll on his body. Ian took a little longer, but after what I guessed to be a little less than an hour, I heard his deep breathing join Drake's. I, however, was up for much longer. As soon as the chatter had left, my worries and anxieties returned. I was terrified for Bleak Falls Barrow the next day, and the dangers that came with it. I was up late, trying to remember everything I could. I was surprised how much difficulty I had doing so, given how well I knew the storyline. This only worried me further, and eventually, I gave up and carefully tiptoed out of the room, wearing only the dress Gerdur had given me. There were only a few people remaining by the fire in the inn, and none of them took notice as I quietly slipped out into the crisp night air.

Nights in Skyrim were quite nippy, I quickly concluded. The wind bit at any of my exposed skin, but I ignored it. I needed the fresh air, and I needed space away from my smothering thoughts. I walked all the way down to Warmaiden's and back, encountering only Belethor's assistant on his way out of the shop, who gave me a strange look, but said nothing. The cold was finally getting to me, but my thoughts were definitely cleared, so I decided it'd probably be okay to head back to bed. However, on the way, Fralia Greymane's glittering trinkets caught my eye once more. They were locked up tight in their display cases, but completely unsupervised. I bit my lip at the thought of having to pay Hulda our room fee from our rapidly dwindling pocket money, and my hand mindlessly jumped to my pocket where I still had the lockpicks Ralof had given me in the keep. Glancing around, I saw only one guard, turned away from me, walking in the direction of the Jorrvaskr.

It was like I couldn't control my movements as I quickly stepped towards her stall, inspecting the cases. Only one of them had necklaces in them; the rest were empty. I assumed she had left in a hurry, and left them behind. I remembered the satisfied feeling I got when successfully picking a lock while escaping Helgen, and a pick was halfway out of my pocket before I dropped it back, recoiling with a feeling of dread. What was I thinking?! I wasn't a thief!

Berating myself silently, I quickly turned, marching back into the Bannered Mare. On the way in though, I couldn't resist sparing one more wistful glance at the no doubt expensive jewelry that no one was watching.

;

"Allena, come on, wake up, we really have to go." a soft voice said by my ear. Through my bleary eyes, I peered at Drake whose hand was still on my shoulder, after having gently shaken me awake. Me locked eyes for a second, and in that second, his confident smirk and cocky demeanor from the previous night was gone. He was nervous. After a second, he sent me what I'm sure was his attempt at a reassuring smile and stood back up from kneeling beside me. With a slight groan, I slowly rolled up, rubbing my eyes. Ian was already out of the room, and it was just me and Drake. Both of us stayed silent as we carefully slid into our new armor, double checking every buckle, tie, and latch. Ian came in just as I was taking stock of all our pooled supplies sitting in a corner of the room. He murmured a good morning, handing out bowls of potato soup with bread and cheese he had balanced in his arms. We all sat side by side on the one bed that Ian had occupied last night, silently eating our meals. In all honesty, I felt sick to my stomach, and all traces of my appetite were gone, but I knew the day would only be harder if I didn't have a good meal. I finished first, wordlessly pouring the remains of my soup into Drake's bowl and handing my piece of bread to Ian. There was no way I was getting any more in me; my stomach was already twisting.

Instead, I took some time divvying up the supplies while the boys finished their meals. I divided everything up as equally as I could, while taking need into account. Drake got most of the stamina potions, while Ian got all three of the magicka potions we had, just in case the best of Breton magic came out of him in the barrow. All the alchemy ingredients I had been collecting remained in my bag. I moved all the lockpicks I carried into my armor pocket, along with a few that I had found along the belongings Ian had. In the end, we all had a few health potions, some apples and carrots with wrapped up rabbit meat, bread, and cheese, a single stamina potion (in mine and Ian's case), and a blanket made of animal hides. I exchanged my small iron dagger for one of the three steel ones Ian had somehow managed to get for us, and tentatively attached it to my waist, slipping the now extra one into my boot. My bag, bow, and quiver filled with a solid 83 arrows (63 iron, 20 steel, I already counted carefully) all went on my back as I slipped on my gloves and hide bracers. Around me, Drake and Ian were making similar motions with their own belongings, Ian sheathing his sword and dagger on either side of his waist. In a few minutes we were all armored up, helmets and all, weapons firmly attached. We looked like real adventuring warriors.

The thought made me feel slightly better.

Ian dropped 10 septims in Hulda's hand on our way out, flashing her a winning smile. As soon as we were out of the inn though, he took on an expression that would be appropriate at a funeral. Our funeral.

There was silence as we headed down through Whiterun, to the stables, on onwards to the mountain range where Bleak Falls Barrow was located. We stuck close together. There was no joking and smiling on this journey. Drake led the way, a serious expression on his face. I trailed behind/beside him, trying to pretend I had conviction. Ian was behind/beside me, looking like someone told him his dog died.

We encountered two wolves on our way, both of which were quickly taken care of by Drake, who had run forward to great them with a swing of his weapon as though he'd been slaying animals his whole life.

And again, silence overtook us. Somehow, Drake knew where he was going. I imagined he had received some sort of direction from the court wizard while I was tuning out, and before we knew it, Bleak Falls Barrow was looming before us. It had taken a solid hour or two to get there, I guessed. It was hard to tell though, seeing as clocks didn't exist.

It was snowing, but I didn't shiver. Instead, as we heard movement near us, I silently pulled my bow out, and strung an arrow; there were probably bandits around us.

Sure enough, a single one ran out in front of us, sword in hand. He let out a battlecry and ran forward, but I was quick to dispatch him with an arrow to the chest, just as Drake was still tugging on his axe. He turned to me with a raised eyebrow and the ghost of a smile on his lips as he continued pulling it out.

"Nice shot" he muttered simply, scanning the area. Ian, copying us, timidly took out his sword, awkwardly grasping it with both hands.

"There's going to be more around here. They're never alone." he whispered, voice shaking. I frowned as it did. I was holding back my own fear, but I didn't think it'd work quite so good with one of my best friends so blatantly panicking next to me.

Drake just remained solemn as he slowly walked forward up the towering steps to the ancient Nordic tomb, the two of us carefully trailing behind him. We were quickly accosted by three more bandits. Ian's eyes widened as he staggered back, sword dropping. I let out a yelp, but quickly drew another arrow, managing to shoot one of them in the stomach. Drake finished him off with a growl and a vicious slash before turning to strike down another. A loud cry of terror made us both turn around to see the final bandit advancing on Ian with a greatsword drawn. I gasped and frantically grasped at my quiver for an arrow, but it proved unnecessary as Drake took off at a sprint and threw his body at the bandit, knocking him to the side as Ian continued falling back. I took the opportunity to run forward and grab his arm as Drake quickly pulled his steel dagger from his belt and run it through the bandit, who let out one last shaking breath before silence fell again, save for some panting on our part.

With a grunt, Drake hoisted himself back to his feet, extracting his dagger. My stomach churned once more as I looked at the now lifeless body on the ground outside the tomb, and bit my lip.

I was bothered by the fact that the slaying of bandits didn't… bother me as much as people's deaths should. Ian looked like he was going to blow chunks though. Drake just looked impassive as he ruffled his hair with a sigh before turning on Ian with a stern look.

"Ian… look, I know we're in a crappy situation. I know you're scared. We all are. I am. But… you can't just drop your weapon in fear when we're surrounded like that. You have to do something. Trembling and staggering only puts me and Allena in a worse situation." He said quietly. I knew he wasn't mad, but Ian looked outraged at his words.

"I… but… you…!" He tried to be forming an argument against Drake's stern words, but faltered, and slowly sputtered out as he realized he had nothing. I sighed, just as Drake did.

"Just… remember, we're about to go into a tomb. God only knows what we'll encounter, so, please… try to keep your head. I just don't want you to get killed, okay?" He spoke out once more, this time a little softer. I stayed quiet, and Ian seemed to consider this before nodding without a word. With that, the three of us advanced up the stairs to the large door of Bleak Falls Temple.

I chewed my lip in anticipation as we collectively leaned against the door to make it open. When we got in, I immediately warmed a little, despite the still drafty air. The walls kept out most of the wind and snow, which was nice. Drake put his greatsword back, but I kept my bow and arrow out; they were lighter, and I had no qualms about holding them for a quick shot. Good thing too, because as we carefully advanced, we heard voices. Two of them, bandits, sitting around the fire they had set up. I bit my lip as Drake frowned again, ready to head in. I quickly held him back. He was going to get tired from swinging his axe around, and I didn't want him hurt. So…

"Stay here. I'll sneak up and shoot them both instead."

And surprisingly enough, I did. I crouched down and silently moved along the wall before drawing an arrow, taking a deep breath, and… letting go. The iron arrow soared through the air, and lodged itself within the woman's chest. The man quickly stood up, drawing a sword, but before he even managed to locate me, I released a second arrow, finished him off as well, allowing me to move up from my crouched position. I frowned as I waved to Ian and Drake for them to move forward. I had just killed two people.

_'I guess it can't be helped. In Skyrim, it's kill or be killed. But… still.'_

I supposed I had a bit of a guilty conscience, but after glancing at Drake as he tentatively patted down the two bandits and Ian, as he hung back, looking rather horrified, I realized I didn't have too much of a problem with it if it meant we'd be safe.

From the two bandits, we picked up a few pieces of gold, some more arrows for my ever expanding collection, and another dagger for Drake's boot. We quickly moved on, this time, I was somehow in the lead, bow still drawn.

The ground immediately sloped down, pathway adorned by cobwebs. I hesitated for just a second before take a slow step forward, a pungent smell filling my nostrils, nearly causing me to recoil. The air smelled like dust, decay, and death. I gripped my bow a little tighter, and moved a little slower, constantly glancing around me. We didn't encounter anything, but the atmosphere was heavy. We didn't dare exchange any words, afraid to alert our presence to anyone or… anything.

Because of my cautious movements, we advanced through the decaying temple rather slowly, but there were no protests from either Drake or Ian. I swallowed hard and kept moving forward, trying to be brave for their sake. Obviously, if Skyrim was our new residence, this sort of thing was something I'd have to grow used to.

There was an unnerving silence around us until we reached an archway that lead into a large, lit, cavernous room. It was here I hissed at Ian and Drake to stop, and we did abruptly, as a large bandit was walking towards the center of the room with a torch. I had already begun to carefully pull my arrow when he glanced around, lowering his torch and moving towards a pully on the ground, and yanking hard on it. Instantly, dozens of darts shot out from the walls and ceilings, all towards him. He only had time for a small yelp of shock before he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

My eyes widened, and I knew Ian and Drake were reacting similarly. I had all but forgotten about the traps we'd have to watch out for in ruins. With that bit of discomforting knowledge, we moved into the room, lowering our guards slightly knowing we were now alone. It took one glance around the looming room for me to break out into a relieved smile. This part, I remembered. The pillars to my left simply had to be turned to match the symbols scattered around the room. We all exchanged a glance before turning a pillar each - Snake, snake, fish. Surprisingly enough, Ian was the one to approach the lever, and pull without pause, causing the gate to the rest of the temple to raise. It was then that I took the lead once more as Drake pulled some septims and the torch off the deceased bandit. He fell into step beside me, lighting the way, Ian close behind, as I kept my bow up, moving slowly onwards.

There was a chest that I took a quick look through, picking up some more gold, and an interesting looking gem, which Ian eagerly snatched up from my hands. I threw him a dirty look, but he ignored it, eyeing the gem with excitement.

"It's a soul gem! Isn't it cool?" He gasped, rotating it in his hand. I shrugged and let it go, but Ian carefully stored it in his pocket. We glanced to the side, seeing some rickety looking stairs winding down even further. Those made me a little nervous. I take it Drake was too, as he wordlessly handed the torch to Ian and pulled out his axe, giving us a quick glance before slowly stepping down them.

I was nearly glad he went before me, because I jumped and let out a startled yelp when the first skeever leaped at him, two more right behind the first. He brought them down with a slash and grunt each, but I was unnerved. Jump scares didn't sit well with me.

It was from here on I think we all started to grow fearful and hesitant of moving forward. Well… even more so. As we reached the bottom of the winding steps, the room we entered was dark and filled with cobwebs, and spider webs, and an amplified version of the stench that was wafting around upstairs as well. At this point, Ian drew his sword in the hand that wasn't hoisting the torch, looking clammy. I glanced to my right and accidentally made eye contact with Drake. He was looking at me with silent fear in his eyes and I faltered. We made it through Helgen, fought a giant, went up against a Companion, took down bandits, and made it this far through Bleak Falls Barrow without him wavering, but now, he had found his fear. A part of me surged up in panic. Drake was our leader, our rock, the one that inspired courage in my heart, and had been for the whole three day Skyrim adventure thus far.

However, there was a bigger part of me that roared in defiance; I would face whatever was causing Drake to be so scared so he'd see it wasn't that bad, and never have that look in his eyes again. I was empowered, I was determined, I was… I didn't know what I was or why I was suddenly so protective and brave, but I shook it off, put an intimidating scowl on my face, drew an arrow, and marched forwards, not even trying to sneak. I heard footsteps following behind me, but I didn't look back, not wanting to see another expression in either of their faces that would break my resolution. Instead, I surged forward, down farther, as the webs got thicker and thick and immediately made me think spiders. I stopped dead as a small voice cried out and we reached a doorway blocked off by the thick webbing.

I should've been terrified; if we encountered this situation five minutes earlier, I would've turned and run all the way to Riften, but my adrenaline was surging in my veins. I yanked my steel dagger out, letting my bow hang loosely at my side with one hand, as I rigidly sliced through the silky material.

I immediately regretted it. As I rushed in, dagger in one hand, bow in the other, my eyes locked onto eight other ones; the biggest bloody spider in the world was hanging from the ceiling and slowly lowering to the ground in front of my. I felt my jaw drop. I felt my courage all but evaporate. I didn't even think to turn and run or draw my bow or anything. I just stood there, rigid in shock and terror. Somewhere in the back of my hazy mind, I registered that Ian had screamed and started running back the way we came. I heard a loud string of profanity come from Drake and I heard a completely alien voice crying from the other side of the room.

"Allena, don't just stand there!" Drake roared at me, shaking me out of my trance. I quickly swerved my head to look at him, but this time, we didn't lock eyes. His face was twisted into reluctance and revulsion, absolute panic in his eyes. Blaring red and screeching signals went off in my mind, and without another moment's hesitation, I threw the dagger to the ground and quickly shot an arrow at the great beast.

It didn't even slow down as the arrow made impact. I nearly wanted to cry.

Drake swore again. I quickly drew another arrow and released it. Then another. Then another. They all hit, but the spider didn't seem to care. Instead, it rushed towards us. Looking like he'd rather be doing anything else in the world, Drake ran forward to meet it, swinging his axe angrily. I ran to the side and shot another arrow, careful to not shoot near Drake. The spider let out what I imagined was its' version of an angry scream and freaking _spit_ something at Drake. He let out a strangled yell and staggered back, axe falling from his hands as he frantically wiped at the suspicious and repulsive goo now all over his front.

He was busy trying to get the substance out of his eyes, and the spider was advancing on him.

My eyes went as wide as saucers, and I desperately tried to think of something to do, but came up with nothing, acting on instinct instead, and doing quite possibly the most stupid thing in my life.

I dropped my bow, but pulled out one of the sharp and shiny steel arrows Ian had given me in each hand and ran forward like I never had before, and… jumped on the spider.

I was hairy, and sticky, and stank unlike anything else I had ever had the displeasure of smelling before in my life, and as it reared up, evidently not happy that I was on its' back, I stabbed my two arrows through its great ugly head.

There was a minute where there was nothing but noise; I could hear Ian still screaming and yelling off in the distance, in complete panic and agitation, while Drake was frantically screaming for me and at me, swears all in between, the spider was emitting some strange screeching noise, and I was still in the midst of a long and loud yell that I had initiated upon my mighty leap.

And then there was silence as the spider collapsed from under me, sending me toppling to the ground. I quickly scrambled away, wildly swiping and brushing at any part of me that had come into contact with the spider, hysteria in my mind as Drake looked at me in slight awe. I was busy focusing on the slain spider though. It was easily twice, if not three times, my size. It was horrifying. It was only then I realized there was more webbing blocking the pathway out, and someone was hung in it, calling for help, and demanding to be let down.

"SHUT UP, YOU FOOL" I roared, turning on the stranger. Maybe it was because I was covered in all sorts of dirt and sweat and spider web residue, or maybe it was because he saw me kill the thing that was about to make him into dinner, but the man fell silent at my yell, which was rather satisfying.

I turned to focus on Drake, and hissed as I took in his appearance. He was covered in something I could only assume was poison.

"Don't move, Drake." I muttered quietly, moving towards him. He obliged by standing stock still as I ripped a small bit of material off the blanket I carried in my bag, and used it to wipe what I could off him. He was silent, and just watched me work as I focused on him with a furrow in my brow until I was satisfied he was as clean as he could get.

"… We should go find Ian" he muttered, moving stiffly to stand up. I nodded in agreement, snatching up my dropped bow and dagger, not even bothering to try and salvage any of the fouled arrows I had used on the spider. We spared no second glance to the man hanging in the web, to which he protested loudly, but I ignored it. If my memory served correct, he was just going to run and/or attack us upon being let down anyways.

Ian was sitting beside a dead skeever on the bottom of the stairs we had come down, trembling with his head in his hands. I might've felt a little angry or bitter about him leaving us and running off in fear, but instead I just felt sorry for him. I silently sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder in what I hope was a reassuring manner. Drake stood awkwardly above us with his arms crossed over his chest, looking a little unsure, but he spoke anyways.

"Listen, Ian… about what happened back there… we don't blame you. This isn't your thing, I get it. None of us are eager about going forward, and… well, you don't have to come with us." At this, Ian snapped his head up, and looked at Drake with surprise.

"It's just… we won't be supervising you on your way out. We have to get the stupid Dragonstone for Farengar, and I'm not leaving without it. So you can leave on your own, or come with us."

Ian's eyes widened, and he stayed silent for a second, considering this. He then turned his head, looking a little… ashamed?

"Guys… I mean, I'm really sorry for how I've been acting. I've been a burden, and I'm scared and useless, but if I leave…"

"Don't feel guilty." I cut him off. This time, he looked at me, and I smiled back.

"It's okay, really. No hard feelings. It's not fair to you, honestly. Drake is good with his battle axe, and I'm good with my bow, and… you haven't found what you're good at though. I know it's something, but you just haven't encountered it yet."

Drake nodded in agreement, sitting on his over side after unceremoniously kicking the skeever out of the way.

"And honestly, even though I was all brave yesterday, I'm not too keen on this anymore. I'm scared. But hey, someone has to get that Dragonstone and trigger the events that save Skyrim, right?"

"I'm scared too, but hey, someone has to make sure Drake doesn't kill himself, right?" I added on top of that, making Ian laugh weakly.

"Guys…" he muttered, finally meeting my eyes, making me realize (with a slight jolt) that they were moist.

"I… I'm sorry. I can't." Drake thumped him on the back, and I gave him a quick hug around the shoulders before standing up, and helping him to his feet.

"It's okay. Be careful on the way back to Whiterun and… you'll be okay. Take the gold we found, and get a room at the Bannered Mare. We'll meet you there when we get back." Drake reassured. Ian looked nervous again at the prospect of heading out on his own, but we both sent him grins.

"You can do it. It's better than going deeper into the tomb, right? It'll be okay. Honestly." I reassured. Ian gave us both a guilty look before nodding, unsmiling, and turning around to run up the stairs, leaving me and Drake standing alone in the dark ancient tomb.

**; **

**I did it! I updated! Success! Sorry if this chapter was a little boring at parts, but… WE'RE GETTING TO THE GOOD STUFF, PROMISE. Again, sorry for the lengthy break between updates… Trust me, I'm trying to do more. I thought I'd be able to put this up a lot earlier because of Christmas break, but I turned out to be even busier than I am during the school term. **

**Nevertheless, I buckled down today, and finished up a chapter, yay! I wanted to get this up in a hurry, so didn't read it over very well… Don't be afraid to assault me if I made a million mistakes. Also, to make up for the slow updating, I promise, I've already started on chapter 7!**

**Now, as always, please let me know what you think. I really appreciate all the feedback you guys have given so far! And even if you have no advice or anything, it's still good to hear there are people enjoying the story :). **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Irelia**

**PS:**

**DeadricAscendant: If you happen to stumble across this new update, I think you tried to leave me an email address or something, but took it out! I don't think they let you put stuff like that in reviews, to prevent spam and stuff :)**


	7. Bleak Falls Sanctum

**Chapter 7**

There was a moment of silence between Drake and I where all we did was side by side, mentally preparing ourselves for going onwards. For me, I immediately felt like a piece was missing with Ian's absence. I suddenly felt like splitting up had been a bad idea. However, there was no helping it. I hated to say it, but if Ian didn't leave now, he would've when we were irreparably deep within the tomb. And so, I steeled myself, and so did Drake, and we marched back towards the man hanging in the web.

Now that the spider was slain, I was able to think clearly about the situation, and apparently so could Drake, because the first thing he did was address the man with, "So, Arvel, where's the golden claw?"

This seemed to take the man aback, but he quickly recovered and rush replied, "Yes, yes, the claw, the door, the hall of stories, I know how it all goes together, so cut me down!" I frowned in reply as I remembered the whole situation, and discreetly pulled out an arrow. Drake furrowed his brow and grudgingly pulled out his dagger, slicing Arvel down wordlessly. As his feet hit the ground, the Dunmer sneered at us and started rabbling nonsense about not needed to share with anyone, turning around and jagging away all the while. I rolled my eyes and lazily walked after him, releasing the arrow when I had a clear shot. He fell to the ground with a grunt, and Drake walked up to his body, patting him down, coming back up with the Golden Claw a second later.

It was then we started forward with more caution. We were now uncomfortably far down into the tomb, and it was rather unnerving. The smell of decay and death just kept getting stronger. Feeling wary, I once more returned to slowly walking forward, arrow at the ready, while Drake didn't sheath his battle axe. This time, we stayed pressed together, constantly brushing arms there was so little space between us. My surge of bravery had been spent on the spider, for the most part. The ground sloped down once more, and something made us go even slower. It may have been our hesitancy to go even further underground, or it was the fact that the same foul stench got so bad that I started gagging.

Drake looked supremely uncomfortable, and spoke to me in a hushed tone.

"We're not alone, Allena."

We heard a growl to the left, and I knew he was right. My eyes went as wide as saucers, and I let out a strangled cry, releasing my arrow in shock, completely missing. A great smelly _draugr _was shambling towards us, war axe raised. Alarms went whizzing through my mind, and there was a split second where I hopelessly wished I could follow suit after Ian and sprint the heck out of Bleak Falls Barrow.

But I didn't. Drake, looking only marginally less terrified than I felt, swung twice at the draugr, causing it to fall dead to the ground once more. Neither of us spoke, and I took a second to gulp down a few deep breaths of the musty, suffocating air. I knew there'd be draugr, and I thought I was ready… but was apparently less mentally prepared than I thought. They were downright horrifying.

_'Come on, Allena. You can jump on and slay a gigantic spider, but some dead Nords freak you out? You can do better than that!'_

I tried scolding myself into being brave again, but my attempt was measly at best. Drake sent me a grimace, staying in a battle crouch.

"… I guess it only gets harder from here on out. Don't worry though. We'll be okay."

I wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure me or himself.

I didn't get an opportunity to calm down any longer though, because the same stench and growling sounds came towards us from the other side. I quickly pulled an arrow out of my quiver and managed to land it right in the foul thing's eye socket, effectively making up for my last flop. It didn't help to calm my nerves though.

_'In through the nose, out through the mouth… Deeeeep breaths, Allena. Come on, you can do this.'_

One more attacked us, to which both of us reacted before we neatly sidestepped a pressure plate that activated the rather deadly looking spiked door on our way further into the barrow. That didn't help to calm my nerves either. My expert breathing technique wasn't being of much assistance on top of that; my breaths were coming out in quick puffs, and my anxiety was mounting. Instead, I focused on Drake and his breathing. It was just us and the dead down here, so I could hear his deep, even breaths. He was much better at this than I was.

We tiptoed carefully forward, not wanting to spring any sort of traps, and listening carefully for anymore dead things who had decided they no longer wanted to be dead. As we went further, the ground sloped downwards more… yet again. I nearly groaned. Being underground in the thick, dead air was making me really antsy. I could also _smell _the death lingering in the atmosphere, and steeled myself for more draugr.

I was not disappointed. We were accosted by three more, all at once this time. I let out a startled yell, and Drake hissed in fright. Nevertheless, frightening as they were, they weren't difficult opponents. Drake took one of them, while I took the other, unwaveringly making arrows stick out of its' body. I admit to faltering a bit when the third one let out a chilling and unnerving laugh. Yes, laugh. I squeaked and stopped in my motion of reaching for another arrow as Drake grunted, and cleanly chopped off its' head.

We took a minute to calm down, my panic truly starting to bubble up inside me. Drake seemed to sense this, as he carefully put his axe back on his back (after hesitantly making sure there were no more draugr around us), and gently grabbed my shoulders, looking me square in the eye.

"Allena, don't panic, and don't freak out. These things can't hurt you. We can take whatever this stupid tomb can throw at us, and we'll get the darn Dragonstone, okay? We have to. And we will." I opened my mouth to speak back, but realized I was trembling slightly and fell silent, fear in my face. I knew it showed, because Drake's expression crumpled a bit before he quickly pulled me towards him in a bone breaking embrace.

"Allena, I'm scared. But deep down, you're brave. You took on that spider when I couldn't do anything. You're strong. So be strong, don't be afraid. The draugr won't hurt you. Nothing will. I'll protect you, always." He murmured into my ear, voice shaky and low. I couldn't say anything, but I felt a surge inside me, and silently replied.

_'I'll protect you so freaking well, you'll walk out of here without so much as a damn cut.'_

I took a second to bury my face into his shoulder; he smelled like sweat, and iron, and wilderness, and dust, but it was comforting, and a whole lot nicer than the smell of draugr. I stopped shaking and so did he, and I knew we could go on together.

Then I heard the swinging axes, lifted my head to look ahead, and swore profusely. Right in the middle of the path we needed to go through to move on was three great swinging blades that looked like they could cleanly slice a person in half, right through their armor. Drake frowned and moved back to look at them as well, still pressed against my side. He sighed deeply, unconsciously reaching for my hand, and gripping it tight. I returned the pressure without a second thought.

"We'll just have to run really fast." He said, sounding much, much more wary and exhausted than a 20 year old should ever sound.

;

The rest of the journey downwards was much the same. There were draugr - and they stayed consistently terrifying, but we managed to get through. The really unnerving part for me was the fact we kept going _down_. It had only been a few hours, but I missed sunlight. The air was suffocating, and I was just all together uncomfortable being so deep underground. I felt cut off from the rest of the world in the worst and most dangerous way possible.

Trouble came when we finally reached the doors to get to the Sanctum, and they were blocked by another draugr. Both Drake and I stopped when we reached him. He was much more heavily armored than they others, and just _seemed _more dangerous and deadly. I carefully aimed an arrow - it soared through the air, hit him square in the chest… causing him to let out an angry growl and race towards us.

I let out another squeak (I've been doing a lot of that lately), as Drake made a noise of horror and disgust as he leaped up and swung at the thing, right across its' torso.

It didn't let down.

It was stronger than the others we had faced. I ventured a guess that it was restless, and it was a lot more vicious. Drake finally struck it down, but not before the great stupid thing managed land a hard blow on Drake. Luckily, his heavy armor absorbed most of the impact. As the draugr crumpled to the ground once more, Drake fell to one knee with a groan, causing me to immediately rush to his side.

"Drake..? Are you okay, did he hurt you?" I whispered, cautiously laying a land on his shoulder. He let out a quick grunt, and shook his head.

"That was a strong blow… Just stings a bit. He didn't get through the armor. I'll be okay, just need to catch my breath." I nodded slowly, rubbing his shoulder lightly in an attempt to be reassuring. As I did, I watched the door ahead of us with a wary eye. We were only going deeper, and the deeper we went, the more the trouble grew.

Drake quickly recovered and sent me a small smile before walking forward and pushing open the large doors.

I followed after him with a heart heavy with fear.

;

The further down we went, the more I felt like something was squeezing my heart as hard as it could. It was dark. It was musty. There was this strange room we had to run around a bit to find our way because there was stairs and a bridge - but we made it. I managed to pick up a few old arrows off two of the draugr despite my disdain, due to how alarmingly fast I was going through them. And at last, we reached the locked door that required the golden claw to unlock.

I took stock of our condition. We were relatively unwounded for a pair of misfits who got themselves landed in the sticky situation of dungeon diving for the first time. Drake still had bits of spider goo on him, and was covered in grime and dirt, a few scratches and bruises on the exposed part of his arms, face glistening with sweat. I was probably just as dirty and bruise covered, some scrapes from our run in with the giant spider. We were tired, but could still keep fighting.

We didn't spent time puzzling over it. Some quick turns then we steeled ourselves, and inserted the claw. The door painstakingly lowered, dust falling from all over the place. As soon as we could see what was ahead of us, my heartbeat shot up rapidly and I gasped audibly. My head pounded with the terror that was threatening to take over my body and make me turn around and I heard Drake curse weakly beside me.

This was the final room. This was where we'd get the Dragonstone.

And it was likely we'd meet our untimely demise as well.

I quickly whipped my head towards Drake, horror in my face, and his as well. I was so scared I was well on the verge of tears, and it was only for his sake I hadn't collapsed and starting bawling my eyes out in fright. There was a draugr overlord somewhere in here, and he wasn't going to be happy to see us.

It took us several minutes to step forward. In those several minutes, we sat, deeply breathing, leaning on each other for support. It wasn't until Drake muttered, "Come on, Allena… we have to do this. Let's get it over with. We'll be okay." that I bit my lip and wordlessly pulled an arrow from my quiver - one of the precious steel ones Ian had obtained.

And we crouched and moved forward. I am ashamed to admit I let out a loud and girly yelp when a bunch of bats flew over our heads, causing Drake to whip his head around to make sure I hadn't awoken anything.

We were lucky I hadn't.

I had broken out into a clammy, nervous sweat, and I was sure Drake wasn't much better off. But we pushed on. By we pushed on, I mean he kept slowly advancing, and I pressed myself up against his side, desperately wishing I was anywhere else.

Finally, we reached the stairs. There was a wall with strange writing carved into it on our right, and with a jolt, I realized it was a word wall. There was a coffin with a chest next to it, but for the time being, all was silent, save for my own frantic heartbeat.

We didn't lower our guard as we slowly approached the wall with interest. I scanned over the markings, awe in my eyes, but understood not a single word of it. Was I supposed to? The mighty Dragonborn hero always came across word walls in the game, and felt a great rush of power, seeing one glowing word and learning a powerful shout from it. I apparently wasn't the hero of this story, and I cast a quick glance at Drake, whose brow was furrowed, mouth agape. I was about to ask him what was on his mind, when a noise echoed behind us, making us both jump and swerve around.

The lid on the coffin fell off with a mighty crash that reverberated in the large underground cavern, a bony leg solidly stepping out and hitting the ground.

My throat ran dry as I felt my mouth fall open, my eyes going just as wide as I found myself faced with a draugr overlord.

I was right about the him looking unhappy part, if nothing else. With a weak cry in an attempt to make myself feel braver, I released my arrow, hitting him in the upper body. He didn't seem to even notice. I nearly panicked, but allowed myself to feel a little empowered by the fierce battle cry Drake released as he ran towards the draugr, axe raised.

He gave a mighty downward slice on the draugr overlord's shoulder, but this didn't even seem to phase it. Instead, It gave an angry threat in a language completely alien to me before retaliating with its' own strong swing, catching Drake across the middle.

He let out a great gasp and his eyes went wide as he was thrown to the side, a new dent in his iron armor. I let out an angry cry, and while my aim was clear, shot two quick arrows at the draugr.

They both hit. They both did very little to slow its' advance on Drake.

Drake quickly jumped to his feet, cringing only slightly as he did so. With a labored grunt, he swung sideways at the draugr, cutting it, but again, to little effect. I sword, and ran to the side, launching another arrow at the thing, feeling rather useless. It was all good and well if I wanted to protect Drake, but what _could _I do, with him being so up close and personal while I lobbed arrows from the distance, unable to block any attacks?

The draugr let out an angry hiss, swinging at Drake once more. He managed to move all his important organs out of the way in time, but the draugr's axe caught an exposed part of his arm between gauntlet and armor. Drake let out a yelp of pain, and stumbled a bit, a deep and instantly bloody cut running across his left forearm. He groaned in pain, the blood quickly flowing out of the dangerous gash. I growled and saw red. I had promised I wouldn't let him get so much as a cut in this stupid place, and he just sustained one _hell _of an injury.

And the draugr was advancing on him again, weapon raised. In a moment of sheer stupidity, I quickly loaded another arrow and hit it in the back of the head, reflecting of its' helmet. Definitely didn't do any damage, but it was enough to turn its' attention on me. My eyes widened, but I went with it.

"Oi... Yeah, you! Dead overlord guy! Come get a piece of me!" I screamed, quickly pulling out yet another arrow, this time catching it in the stomach. It let out an angry roar that would've had my tail between my legs - provided I had one - and ran for me instead.

Well, that was an unforeseen part of the plan.

I yelped as it raised its' axe threateningly, and helplessly hit him with two more arrows, trying to back away the whole while.

I tripped over a goddamn rock.

This subsequently resulted in me stumbling backwards with a cry, and falling on my behind, bow falling out of reach, leaving me at the mercy of the draugr overlord.

I could do little more than whimper and turn my head away from its' dangerous and frightening glowing eyes, biting my lip and trying to not let any fearful tears leak out.

It swung, but just as it did, a great force hit me from the side, moving me out of what would have been the perfect position for a deadly blow. The axe hit my stomach, slicing my side right through the hide armor, causing me to gasp with pain, but I wasn't dead yet.

Drake quickly jumped up from beside me, roaring with absolute animosity. Battle axe quickly in hand, he rushed forward towards the thing once more, while I cringed from the ground and gripped my side, rapidly releasing blood. He swung fiercely, catching the draugr in the middle, leaving a deep slice. It roared back in fury, and without pause, swung down, catching drake in the left shoulder just outside of his armor, lodging his axe deep into his arm, causing Drake to howl with pain. I cried out his name in a panic, but I don't think he heard me. Instead of letting the draugr pull his weapon out and finish him off, he lifted his arm, still bleeding from the earlier cut and held the axe where it was, painstakingly raising his battle axe with just one arm.

My eyes widened and I feel silent as with an agony filled grunt, Drake managed to swing, the draugr held in place by the axe he held onto, to cleanly separate the overlord's head from the rest of the body. There was a bit of wiggling, but as Drake yanked the axe out of his shoulder with a cry, the bony body fell to the ground, no sign of life left in it.

With that, Drake's own battle axe fell from his hand, and he dropped to his knees, hand going to the dangerously deep gash in his shoulder as he groaned.

"DRAKE!" I quickly screamed out. Clutching my side, I got to my feet as fast as I could - which wasn't impressively quickly - and pulled myself over to him.

He was bleeding from both injuries. A lot. Fury and panic fired up inside me, and I desperately searched his eyes for a sign he was going to be okay.

I didn't find one. He just continued to groan, unable to speak to me through his pain. I did my best to forget my own injury, and ripped my bag off me, trying to avoid turning my torso. It took a second, but I rifled through and pulled out the health potions I had carried on me. Frenzy in my eyes, I gently uncorked the bottle and lifted myself to my knees, matching his height. As he flinched, I carefully tilted his head back slightly, lifting the bottle to his lips, cringing at my own pain in my side.

"Drake, please, this is going to taste completely foul, but drink it." And he did so silently, flinching as the foul liquid went down his throat. I didn't relent until he had drank every last drop, and only then did I fall down a little, struggling to get my own potion out, gulping that down with a cringe as well. I felt a little better nearly immediately, and it looked like Drake did too, but he was still pretty wounded, as was I. I bit my lip, immediately strongly wishing I could do something more. There was a brief second where I considered summoning up the magicka for a restoration spell of sorts, but that idea was quickly dismissed by the fact I had no freaking clue how to do such a thing.

The cavern creaked and made eerie sounds, and it was unnerving. I glanced worriedly at Drake. We were both pretty unfit for anymore fighting, so it was nothing but a bad idea to just sit around. And we needed better medical help beyond what weak healing potions could bring. We needed to move, as painful as the thought was. Gritting my teeth, I carefully got to my feet, before picking up my bow and bag just as carefully, and putting them on my back. I ached, but the pain wasn't nearly as sharp as it was pre-potion. Cringing, I then turned to Drake, who was shakily getting to his feet. We were beat.

It was a wordless agreement that led to him throwing his good arm around my side, careful to not touch my wound, while I leaned my good side against him, gripping him around the waist. Like that, and with much difficulty and pain, we began to hobble away from the defeated overlord (after bitterly pulling the Dragonstone off him), desperately leaning on each other for support.

;

It was well into the night, and likely early morning by the time we finally collapsed outside the gates of Whiterun. I was too scared to let us stop and sleep for a bit, lest we be caught off guard or attacked, and I was scared of putting off our much needed medical attention any longer. With a bit of a yelp, the two guards ran towards us. Drake was pale, and did little more than moan. I felt feverish and clammy, and from my knees, I looked desperately at the two guards.

"H-he needs medical attention. We both do! Please, gods, tell me there's someone we can go see for help!" The guards faltered a bit, clearly a little rattled, but answered hurriedly nonetheless.

"Y-You should get him to the Temple of Kynareth. Acolyte Jenssen and Danica Pure-Spring are healers." one of them spoke, while the other, younger looking one helping hoist me and Drake up.

"Come on, I'll help you get there." He said gruffly, getting the gate open. The nameless guard helped me amble to the temple, right by the steps to Dragonsreach. The whole way there, we didn't speak, save for an occasional grunt on Drake's part. The guard didn't seem to know what to say, and I was biting my tongue to keep from crying out in pain. Drake seemed to sense this, because he clutched me closer, and tried to take as much of my weight as possible, even in his hurting state. The final stretch through Whiterun seemed even harder than the walk through the wilderness, but at long last, the guard muscled the doors open, and allowed us to tumble to the ground once more.

"Thank you…" Drake muttered out, speaking at last. The guard seemed to awkwardly pat him on his good shoulder, me on my back, and muttered a, "good luck to you both," before leaving back out the door as Acolyte Jenssen made his appearance.

Jenssen was a strong-looking Nord priest, with shoulder length brown hair, and a beard to match. A woman with her hair covered with the hood of her robes covering her hair came in behind him. She had the typical strong and sharp Nord jaw, and dark eyes to contrast her fair skin. Both of them had their brows furrowed with concerned. No questions asked, Danica took me to a bed while Jenssen helped Drake. As relief washed over me, so did my exhaustion and pain, and as Danica carefully laid me down, I promptly blacked out.

;

**Yaaaaay, I updated! Nothing too exciting here, folks. But I think the next chapter or two will be good. Maybe? I'll try. **

**As always, a big thank you for reading, and I'd really appreciate a review to let me know what you think :D! **

**-Irelia**


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